Secrets of Mitikas
by Ms. Sherlock
Summary: Sophie just wanted to study abroad in Athens in hopes of becoming an archaeologist. She never expected to be making deals with Greek gods, honing ancient powers, lusting after gods and demigods and potentially even saving the world. But life is funny like that. Suddenly it seems like everyone wants something from her, and she's not even sure what she wants.
1. The Mountain

**I.** The Mountain

* * *

><p>I was standing atop Mitikas, Mount Olympus's tallest peak, peering back at the rocky path I had traveled to get to this point. I was alone, having left my new roommate Hannah, her aunt Melina, and Erika, one of the two girls who would be sharing our building, down below. After a picnic lunch, the others had laid down to rest and I snuck off—I couldn't go back to my friends in America, hanging my head and telling them I went to Mount Olympus but didn't make it <em>quite <em>to the top. I knew I could handle the climb. The way up had admittedly been a bit rough, but I was never in any kind of real danger.

A chill wind blew on the back of my neck, making me shiver.

"Sophie Lannon," a deep, masculine voice boomed.

I let out a small, embarrassingly shrill shriek and leapt quickly, turning to search for the source of the voice. This was not only terrifying, but downright impossible. The only people in this _country_ who knew me so far were the three women waiting below, Erika's roommate Nita—who was currently in Athens—and Melina's husband, who was weak and lanky and whose voice was quite nasally. This was most assuredly not him. This voice was powerful and commanding. I squinted, not seeing anyone at first. All I could see was a strange, swirling gathering of gray clouds at some distance ahead of me.

"Is—is anyone there?" I called out, feeling a bit foolish. I felt like I must have imagined it. Could high altitudes make a person hallucinate?

"Don't be afraid, Sophie," the voice said. "I don't intend to harm you."

"That's not very reassuring," I squinted, peering around for some sign of movement.

I watched, not trusting my own eyes, as the clouds began to form into the shape of a man. Slowly, the clouds began to solidify somehow, and then a flesh-and-blood man was standing in front of me. His muscular arms, legs and chest were tanned and rugged looking, and he had a dark gray, curly mass of hair on his head and face. He had piercing silvery-blue eyes and he wore impossibly clean pure white garments made of cloth. A piece of cloth was wrapped around his waist and attached with some kind of golden clip to a white sash that reached across his otherwise bare chest and over his shoulder. I suppose I would have to describe him as being good-looking in an older gentleman kind of way, but that wasn't really my thing. And I wasn't much into the whole toga party scene, either.

"I have a gift for you," the man said, smiling in a kind and almost familial way.

I looked him over with suspicious eyes and saw sparks flying from his fingertips. I could hear them crackling faintly. I held my head. I didn't _feel _dizzy.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The man chuckled, "Haven't you a guess?"

"The smart part of my brain is telling me that I'm hallucinating the king of the gods because I'm on Mount Olympus," I said. "I know it's called _mythology_ for a reason. I didn't know high altitudes could do this to you—I'm guessing that's the cause. Unless I've some kind of undiagnosed mental condition."

"You don't have any condition that I know of," the man—Zeus, presumably—said, smiling. "And I think the Fates would have told me—I know them personally, after all. They sent me here, in fact."

"This is good. Yeah, this is really clever, actually," I said. "I've got to pay attention to my subconscious more often. There's some really creative stuff in there, isn't there?"

Zeus smiled knowingly.

"I wouldn't doubt it. But could your subconscious do this?"

He snapped his fingers and dark clouds gathered directly above Mitikas, and rain pounded down onto my head. Real raindrops, huge and dense, struck my upturned hand somewhat violently, and my hair and clothes stuck to my skin. Zeus lifted a hand and a lightning bolt flew out of it and up into the clouds.

"Okay, stop!" I shouted, feeling quite soaked enough. "I get it."

The storm stopped immediately, and a warm wind blew at me, drying my clothes to some degree. I looked at Zeus, then down at myself. I pinched myself—not a dream, okay. I was quite sure hallucinations couldn't go to the extent of actually feeling like this, but my knowledge of hallucinations was admittedly shaky. I decided to accept this as reality, at least for now. Couldn't hurt, right?

"Okay, so if you are real," I said, "what do you want with me?"

"The Fates sent me," Zeus said.

"Yeah, yeah, you said that," I said. "Wait—you're Zeus. If you're here to shower me with a golden rain and make me have your babies, I do _not _consent. No babies for me, please. Not now—not ever."

Zeus threw his head back and let out a roaring laugh.

"No, sorry, Sophie, but you're not really my type," he said.

"Thank god," I said. "Uh—gods, rather. Or thank you, I suppose. You're not really my type either."

"I'm here because the gods of Olympus need you—we need your assistance," Zeus said.

"Ha! That's a laugh," I said. "The gods need _my _help? No. You must have the wrong girl."

"I do not have the wrong girl," Zeus boomed a bit angrily, thunder rumbling in the distance. "The Fates have sent me here in search of a Sophie Lannon, and that is you. You are the only one who can help us."

"The only one? Right. And how do you suppose I'll be able to help you all? With the biting power of my sarcasm?"

"I do not know the specifics, you insolent girl, but the Fates are never wrong," Zeus said, his hands crackling with electricity.

"Whoa there," I said. "Don't smite me—you need me, remember?"

"Right," Zeus said, clearly trying to keep himself calm.

"I rather like her," a smooth, slithery voice behind me said as a cold hand covered my shoulder.

I turned in surprise. A man with a wild mane of black hair and an equally unruly beard now stood next to me. His hand squeezed my shoulder tightly, making me a bit uncomfortable as his dark eyes stared at me appraisingly. His face was somewhat long but not unattractive—he appeared much younger than Zeus, although obviously both of them were older than I could probably imagine. He wore black robes, held together with a gold sapphire-encrusted cinch. I noticed he had rings with precious metals on every finger as well as similarly bedazzled bangles. His skin was pale, presumably from never seeing the light of day—this had to be…

"Hades, I presume?"

"Well, well, well," he said, sliding an arm around my shoulders. "Girl has done her homework. You can come stay at my palace anytime."

"What would Persephone think?" I asked, looking him up and down and probably sounding a bit more flirtatious than was wise.

"You're a smart one," he said, looking at me with interest. "And sassy. Just my type."

I ignored him, shrugging his arm away and turning my attention back to Zeus.

"So what is it you want?"

"Someone is trying to overthrow us and gain power over the earth," Zeus responded with an air of importance.

I tried to look as bored as possible, choosing my nails as an appropriate fixation, "And who says that would be such a bad thing? If you're in charge of the whole world, you should know there's a thing or two wrong with it."

"It's not as simple as you think," Zeus said seriously, clearly bristling with suppressed anger. "We do the best we can, but whoever it is that's trying to take over has made it clear that their intentions are _not good_. Not in the best interest of human beings _at all_."

"Alright, so suppose I do agree to help you—not than I _am_ yet," I said, still finding it difficult to accept that any of this was happening and therefore still acting nonchalantly. "What do you suppose _I _can do?"

"We Olympians have agreed to lend you our powers ," Zeus said. "You will be able to call upon each of our powers whenever you need them in order to help us. I don't know _why _it is, but the Fates have unanimously agreed that _you_ are the only person capable of stopping whatever evil forces are trying to overthrow us. Perhaps because of your unique circumstances, whatever they may be—I don't know. But we do need your help."

"What's in it for me?" I asked.

Zeus looked shocked.

"Besides… preserving your species? Or at least its free will?"

I shrugged.

"How does unlimited fortune sound?" Hades asked, resting an arm on my shoulder and smiling at me knowingly.

"Not so bad," I said with a smile—I was beginning to like him.

"So you'll do it?" Zeus asked eagerly.

"Well, I don't see why not," I said. "If the Fates say it… it has to be true, right?"

Zeus and Hades both agreed.

"Alright then," I said. "Do your thing or whatever it is you need to do to give me access to your godly power."

I stood, hands on my hips, feeling extremely self-important. Zeus lifted a hand, palm facing me. I suddenly saw a group of others standing around him, all pointing their palms towards me. I had just opened my mouth to say something, when there was a blinding flash of light—and that was it.

* * *

><p>I woke up as the sky was beginning to darken.<p>

"Shit!" I said, looking around me to find that I was, in fact, on Mitikas—I must have fallen asleep. It was all a dream, and it was getting late. My new friends would be worried, and I'd need to be getting back to them.

I scrambled down the mountainside, nearly face planting several times. Soon enough, I heard female voices yelling my name urgently.

"I'm here! I'm here!" I shouted back. "I'm okay!"

Hannah was the first to find me, and she threw herself at me, pulling me into a hug.

"Oh, thank god," she said.

I was a bit alarmed at the display of affection, as I barely knew the girl. We'd just met a couple days before when we'd moved our things into an apartment in Athens. But I suppose she was just relieved that I wasn't dead or something. Erika and Melina came next.

"Where did you run off to?" Melina scolded. "The mountains are so unsafe, you could have been killed."

"I was _fine_," I assured. "I wanted to check out Mitikas since we weren't going as a group, and I thought I'd be back before you all finished resting but… I guess I… fell asleep or something. Somehow."

"Careless," Melina said, shaking her head. "You should not have gone off by yourself—_especially _without telling anyone. Oh, but I'm just glad you're safe."

Then _she _pulled me into a hug. The affection was becoming overwhelming.

"Okay, okay," I said, feeling embarrassed. "Can we go back to the refuge now? I'm starving."

Everyone agreed, and we headed back to the camp. I couldn't stop thinking about the fantastic dream I had had on Mitikas. I couldn't remember falling asleep—perhaps the change in altitude had made me pass out or something. I don't know if that's even a thing. Regardless, it was all worth it for that fantastic dream. I hoped that being in a place as magical as Greece would inspire many more like it.


	2. The Spider

**II.** The Spider

* * *

><p>By the time we returned to Athens from our spontaneous pre-semester trip, I had forgotten all about the dream atop Olympus's tallest peak. The incident had apparently been forgotten by my peers as well, as they didn't even mention it to Nita when we returned. Nita had caught something on the plane ride to Greece and had decided not to join in on our little road trip, but she seemed to have fully recovered by the time we returned.<p>

I must say, our living arrangements were much better than I had expected or even hoped. We lived in a narrow little two-floor house located somewhat centrally in a pretty nice neighborhood of Athens. The four of us were all new and knew next to nothing about the city. Obviously Hannah had family in Greece, but they weren't from Athens and knew it no better than we did. Either way, the room I shared with "Hannah Hampton of Chicago, Illinois"—as the email informing me of my paired roommate described her—was actually a bit bigger than any dorm room I had ever had back home in Boston. There was a bathroom on our floor, and downstairs was another bedroom for Juanita Valiente and Erika Napier, along with a narrow kitchen.

Hannah was twenty, the same age as me, and when we met her skin tone was only slightly darker than mine—but after our weekend trip, she had developed a tan from all the sun exposure. I, on the other hand, had been slathering on the sunscreen, knowing that I never tanned—just burned. Now she just accentuated my paleness even more.

When she had walked into the room for the first time, I had admired her platinum blonde pixie cut and wished I could ever be so bold. She was four inches shorter than me, and very skinny—kind of lanky, but with muscular arms and legs. She had a square-shaped face, a rather long nose and thin, pale lips. Her soft, light blue eyes were somewhat squinty, and her eyelashes and brows were pale—so the blonde coloring had to be natural, I realized. Regardless, she was definitely "edgy." Her nose was pierced on the right side, and you could see the healing hole under the left side of her lip where it was once pierced as well. She had three lobe piercings in each ear, like me, and then also a cartilage piercing in her left ear. She had been wearing a tank top that day, and when she turned to hang a rainbow flag over her bed, I saw on her back, by her right shoulder, a tattoo of a flying bird—a dove, perhaps?—with its wings spread, looking as though it were about to fly off her shoulder. I wondered if there was some personal significance to it. I decided I'd ask once we knew each other better.

Hannah was a Greek language major, an out lesbian—which I was more than okay with—and a lover of hiking. Obviously the Olympus trip had been her idea, and sponsored by her aunt and uncle who lived near there. I could tell that we were going to get along just fine, but I had to wonder if we could be good friends. _I _was open to it, but I just wasn't sure if I was "cool" enough for her or if I would have fit into whatever crowd she had hung out with back in Chicago. Then again, we were in a foreign country, so I guess being an American gave us plenty enough in common. I doubted she would have trouble making friends with the locals, though. She was the kind of person people gravitated towards, if you know what I mean.

Classes started a couple days after we got back from our trip. We were all excited at first, of course, but once we got our syllabuses and saw how much serious work it was going to be, we felt a little bit less enthused. Still, we were in Greece, and it was hard to _not _be excited about that. Plus, as an anthropology major madly in love with my focused area of archaeology, I was excited to learn more about it and enjoy the hands-on aspects these courses were sure to bring. I had to admit what I was most excited about was the prospect of learning more about the Greek culture and making friends with the people who actually lived here. I couldn't wait until I made my first Greek friend, and I imagined he or she would show me around Athens and take me to see all the things that tourists never got to experience.

On my way back from class one day, I stopped by a market stand to get some fresh fruits and vegetables. I wasn't that great a cook at all, but I figured I might as well try my hand in our tiny kitchen. I was picking through the pomegranates when a young man—clearly Greek—with a dark, olive tan and curly black hair approached me. He was wearing a white apron—clearly he worked at the stand.

"American student, huh?" he asked with a smile.

I blushed, "Is it that obvious?"

"English language textbooks… America specifically was a bit of a guess, but you gave off that sort of vibe," he said, his voice moderately accented but his grammar perfect.

"How embarrassing," I said, feeling self-conscious knowing I was sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, sweetheart," the man said, pushing a straightened lock of my reddish-brown hair away from my face. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You're kind," I said, feeling a strong instinctual urge to run and hide—possibly curl up and die of embarrassment. Before coming to this country I would never have thought of myself as easily embarrassed at all, but for some reason the obviousness of my nationality was something I felt disproportionately ashamed about.

"My name is Thom," he said, holding out a hand for me to shake.

I smiled, finally giving him a good look. He had gorgeous, dark brown eyes and his skin tone was nothing short of perfect. Besides a scar that looked like the remnants of a deep gash in the side of his neck, he looked like a Greek god—so to speak. And scars were endearing, anyway. They showed… character, or whatever. He was somewhat thin, I suppose, but quite muscular, and maybe three inches taller than me. Oh god, I was staring at his arms…

"Sophie!" I finally blurted, shaking myself out of my stupor and accepting his handshake. "I'm Sophie."

"Well, Sophie," Thom said, smiling. "I would very much like to show you around the city, if you would have me as your guide. Maybe teach you how to—blend in?"

"Oh! I would like that very much," I said, trying to be as polite as possible—the man's manners were impeccable.

"And if it's not too bold… I would also like to take you out on a date," he said, the perfect gentleman.

I blushed, sure my face must be crimson by this point. That couldn't be very attractive. But somehow he was asking me out anyway. Of course I accepted, already smitten with this gorgeous Mediterranean man who had somehow taken a keen interest in me. I told him where the house I was staying in was located, and he told me he'd come for me on Saturday at noon. I all but skipped home, ecstatic to tell Erika, Nita, and especially Hannah about the handsome man at the market.

* * *

><p>I was waiting by the door when Thom arrived promptly at noon on Saturday. Nita had curled my hair so that it fell in gorgeous ringlets around my shoulders. I had carefully applied my mascara—just a bit, not too much. Hannah had picked out my blue sundress from my wardrobe, saying it was what looked best on me. Erika had painted my nails to match the dress—I felt like Cinderella being prepared by not one, but <em>three<em> fairy godmothers for the ball. I didn't want to look too dressed up—I wouldn't want Thom to think I was trying _too_ hard, because that would probably just look desperate. But I wanted to look good! I wanted to make a good impression, because I did really like this guy, for what little I knew about him. Like his arms.

Okay, so I was a little shallow.

All the girls were up in mine and Hannah's room where they could get a good look at Thom through the window as he was coming up to the house. Thom held the most beautiful, fresh-looking bouquet I think I had ever seen—with roses, crocuses, violets, dwarf irises, lilies, and larkspur blooms. I must admit I've never been a huge fan of flowers—lilies are quite nice to look at, but mostly flowers just smell weird and wilt—but I was duly impressed by his efforts and the sheer perfection of the bouquet. Not a single flower was out of place and each one looked perfectly fresh.

"Oh my god," I said, flustered as he handed the bouquet to me. "I should—I should put these in water. Would you like to come in?"

"I would love to," Thom said, smiling.

I led him in, going through the downstairs bedroom and into the kitchen. As the kitchen was so small, he had to wait in Erika and Nita's room.

"Is this where you live?"

"Oh no," I said. "My bedroom is upstairs, actually."

I cut the bottoms of the flowers, filled a cheap vase with water, and placed the flowers inside, arranging them as nicely as I could. Thom squeezed into the kitchen next to me somehow.

"Sorry it's so small, I—"

"No, I don't mind," Thom said, pulling a lily from the vase and snapping the stem toward the top.

He pushed the hair on one side behind my ear, then placed the flower on top.

"You are a very beautiful girl."

I knew I had to be blushing profusely at this, and turned my head away from him so he wouldn't see. I was pretty confident in my looks, I would say, but I wasn't used to being so forwardly complimented about them and I found it almost hard to believe that someone felt that way enough to say so. This whole study abroad experience so far was going even better than it had in my wildest daydreams. He guided my face gently back to look at him.

"I mean it," he said. "Would you like to go now? I'm quite sure I hear your friends listening in from the next room."

I heard a giggle, a shush, and the sound of three pairs of feet trying to sneak their way up the stairs. I shook my head, laughing softly, and let Thom lead the way out of the house. As we headed down the street, me walking beside Thom in quiet bliss, my curiosity overcame me.

"So, where are we going today?"

"Well, you're interested in archaeology, is that right?" he asked.

"How did you know?" I asked, the surprise surely showing plainly on my face.

"You were carrying archaeology books when I met you at the market," he said amusedly. "But if that was just for a—"

"No, I love archaeology!" I said, then felt embarrassed for having interrupted. "I mean… yes. I want to be an archaeologist, so…"

He smiled. "That's wonderful. I thought we could go to the National Archaeological Museum—if that's something you'd be interested in doing."

"Oh, definitely!" I said enthusiastically. "I've heard so much about it. I'd love to go."

"And then I thought we'd go out for dinner," he added.

"I'd love that."

"Great," Thom said, reaching out and taking my hand casually.

I looked away so he wouldn't see me blushing—something I seemed to be doing much too much of lately. Certainly more than I usually did back home in several months. I wondered if I would ever stop blushing and blubbering and actually be able to say something intelligent to Thom. I wanted him to know that I was more than just a stupid babbling college girl with a red face, falling head over heels, infatuated with a Greek boy she met at the market and knew next to nothing about. After all, he had a definite air of intelligence about him—he was certainly observant, if nothing else, and he _had_ to be observing how much of a nervous fool I was making myself.

By dinnertime, I certainly had more concrete things to say. I could not stop talking enthusiastically about all the exciting things we saw at the museum. He seemed pleased that I was finally coming out of my shell and carrying a part of the conversation, and he smiled and nodded as I went on and on.

"I'm sorry," I finally said. "I'm blathering on, I know."

"No, don't apologize," Thom said, reaching out across the table for my hand. "Your enthusiasm is infectious."

"I'm kind of surprised you're not sick of me," I said, half-joking as I looked nervously down at his hand over mine.

"I can't imagine anyone getting sick of you," Thom said, and I was surprised at the sincerity in his eyes.

The saganaki we had ordered came out, the waiter set it on fire as we watched, and then we continued the conversation as Thom cut it into manageable pieces.

"So I feel like I hardly know anything about you," I said, finally having the courage to ask questions, having been assured that yes, this guy really did seem to like me and didn't just see me as an easy target or something. "For starters, how old are you?"

"Twenty-six," Thom said.

"That's not so bad," I said. "Only six years older than me—that's normal, right?"

"Of course it is," Thom said, smiling warmly.

"So, have you lived in Athens all your life?" I asked.

Thom nodded, "I was born in Athens. I've never left Greece."

"How'd you get that scar?" I said, curiosity ruling over politeness.

I saw him reach up and touch the gash in his neck, actually looking somewhat self-conscious for a split second. I immediately felt bad for asking.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"No, don't apologize," he said, "but perhaps that is a question for the second or third date."

I nodded, glad to hear that there might even _be_ a second or third date. My eyes drifted down to his hands on the table, and I saw a woven white bracelet around his wrist.

"How about that bracelet, then?"

He touched it. "It was given to me by my mother."

"That's sweet," I smiled, then continued with little hesitation. "Do you live near me?"

Once I said it, I regretted it a little, but I was still curious to hear the answer. In retrospect it seemed awkward and abrupt but the words had just sort of spilled out, as they often do with me. As an introvert, it took a while to get me going, but at this point I was sort of on a roll.

"Yes, I live in an apartment right behind the market where I work. We could stop by on our way back if you'd like."

"I would like that very much," I said, smiling as the waiter set our meals down in front of us—lamb for him, a spinach and feta pie for me.

* * *

><p>"Wow."<p>

That was all I could muster when I walked into Thom's apartment. All the furniture inside was made of what looked to me (though I'm no expert) like very fine wood. The furniture was all elaborately carved and looked rather expensive, although obviously it was impolite to ask about Thom's financial situation—plus it would make me look like a gold digger, which I most certainly was not. Literally everything—the table, the chairs, the bedpost, the cabinets, the armoire—was expertly carved from wood.

"Your apartment is lovely," I said, making my way for the window to look out.

Thom came up behind me, reaching around to kiss me on the cheek.

"You're lovely," he said.

I turned my head to his and turned around so my back was to the window. I looked up at him nervously. He paused for a moment, then leaned down and kissed me. It began innocently enough, as most kisses do, but quickly heated up so that Thom had lifted me up and seated me on the windowsill. I kept my arms around his neck as he kissed me quite passionately. I couldn't recall ever getting more than a simple peck on the lips on a first date before, actually—not that I was thinking about past dates at the moment. With Thom in front of me and the palms of his hands spread out on my back, I was completely focused on the current situation. I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance, then, soon enough, rain pelting against the window. Finally I broke away from the kiss, admittedly panicking a bit.

"I—I should probably go home now," I said.

Thom looked down at his watch, then outside at the weather.

"So you should," he said. "I'll walk you."

He grabbed an umbrella and we headed out, saying very little on the way back to my place. I wondered if he had expected something a little different when I had asked about his place and enthusiastically agreed to come check out his apartment. I felt silly now for not realizing the implications. We stopped at my door and I looked shyly at my feet.

"Well, I had a really great time…" I said.

Thom put a hand under my chin and lifted it.

"I hope very much to see you again," he said, then gave me a final kiss before heading back out into the rain.

I let my fingers rest on my lips for a moment, then hurried inside to escape the rain. I decided not to tell Hannah, Nita, and Erika the details of my date, no matter how much they begged. I would keep those all for myself. It would keep them fresher than if I was forced to tell the story repeatedly and wear it out. I promised this as I hugged my pillow to my chest in delight, waiting to drift off to hopefully pleasant dreams.

* * *

><p>That night, I dreamed of long-legged spiders, reaching their eight spindly, sinewy limbs out, stretching farther than could be possible. First they stretched across the abstract space around me, then they lashed forward, reaching toward me and wrapping themselves tightly around my wrists, ankles, and then my neck. The legs turned into vines and I was caught inside some tangled green, apparently predatory plant. I struggled against the vines and woke up sweating, gasping for air.<p>

Hours later, as the morning light streamed through my window, it seemed ridiculous.

* * *

><p>I saw Thom a few days later again. He rode up to the house on a motorcycle one morning just as I was leaving to go to class. I smiled shyly.<p>

"Hi," I said.

"Hi."

He dismounted the motorcycle, walked up to me and gave me a tame little peck of a kiss. For some reason I assumed he would lose interest, especially since I had been the one to end our little make-out session after our first date. And yet here he was, giving me a kiss as if we were girlfriend and boyfriend. Were we?

"Are we…" I started, then stopped. "I mean, is this a—?"

"What? You want to know if I'm your boyfriend?" he asked—it was like he read my mind. Or I was just incredibly obvious. Probably the latter—he seemed to do a lot of what I interpreted as mystical mind-reading powers but he was obviously just observing my clear signs.

"Well… yeah."

"I could be if you want me to be," he said.

"I do," I said and he smiled, leaned down and kissed me.

I had never started a relationship so soon after meeting someone. Well, I had only been in two relationships in the past—one started a couple of weeks after meeting, and the other after six months or so of close friendship. But Thom was just so perfect and gentlemanly and seemed to genuinely like me—how could I say no? I _wanted_ to be his girlfriend. I _wanted_ to be in a relationship with him, even immediately. If someone had told me I'd be in a relationship this soon after coming to Greece, I would never have believed them. It wasn't like me—I always thought it was silly when girls met a guy and immediately declared that they were in some kind of exclusive relationship. Thom hugged me and then gestured to my books and his motorcycle.

"When is your first class?"

"Um, about a half an hour from now," I said after checking the time.

"How about a quick ride around the neighborhood and I'll drop you off at school?"

My heartbeat quickened. I had never ridden a motorcycle before and the idea was a bit frightening—but definitely thrilling, and definitely something I wanted to do. Someone once told me to always say yes to something I had never tried before and—with a few exceptions—I take that advice.

"Sure!" I said.

Thom put his helmet on my head and I climbed onto the motorcycle behind him, putting my arms around his waist. Soon we were speeding through the streets of Athens, taking the long, extremely scenic route to my class. Everything was just so perfect. Thom was too good to be true. My _life_ was too good to be true. Too soon, he was dropping me off in front of the classroom building. I took off the helmet and handed it to him.

"Antio, agapi mou," Thom said with a kiss.

"What's agapi mou?" I knew enough to know "antio" was goodbye, but the rest was unfamiliar to me.

"Means 'darling,'" Thom said, smiling, then turned, got on his motorcycle and drove off.

I clutched my books to my chest as if they could somehow slow my heartbeat.

* * *

><p>Thom and I saw each other frequently over the next couple of months. I never thought a relationship could be so perfect. Some days it seemed as though it <em>had <em>to be too good to be true—and then I'd tell my more logically thinking self to kindly shut up. I was starting to feel like the biggest sap I had ever met, and I'd never been much of a romantic to begin with. Thom was kind and gentle and understanding. He always listened when I had something to say. He took me out to nice places and always insisted on paying, even when I put up a solid protest. He was the picture of chivalry, always being polite and courteous not just to me, but to everyone. Clearly, I was smitten. Was it love? No, maybe not. But it was close enough. I figured maybe in a few months, when we knew each other better and on a deeper level—beyond what I could only think to describe as "puppy love"—it would progress into _real_ love. But on that front our relationship seemed to be pacing itself.

I liked him a lot, yes. He was incredibly handsome, yes. He did everything a good boyfriend should do, yes. And we certainly had chemistry. God, did we have chemistry. When we kissed, it was like nothing I had ever felt before, and I'd had a few damn good kisses in my life. Frequently we'd go back to Thom's apartment and tumble around on his bed for a few hours, but we never went… well, all the way. I was a virgin in the most technical sense of the word—something I had not yet disclosed to Thom, but that I think he gathered—and I was honestly nervous. I had decided that I probably wanted to lose my virginity to Thom. It wasn't something I considered extremely precious and valuable as a lot of people seem to, and I wasn't the "stay pure until marriage" type, since I didn't think marriage was in the cards for me anyway… and Thom seemed as good a person as any other to lose my virginity to. Better, probably, if he was as gentle and reassuring in bed as he was everywhere else.

Still, I was nervous and unsure of how to broach the subject. I mostly didn't want to talk about it. I hoped it would just happen, but it didn't. Apparently taking a cue from our first date, Thom always stopped before things went too far. Taking it slow. I stayed over at his place a few nights, and we slept in the same bed, but that was it. Like I said, he was a gentleman.

In the meantime, strange things were happening to me on a daily basis. It was surely pure coincidence, but the weather almost always seemed to coincide with my mood. If I was frustrated with some convoluted essay topic, thunder would rumble in the distance, without fail. If I was feeling down, there would always be rain pelting at the windows. On days that I was going to see Thom, it would always be sunny and bright. At the house and elsewhere, it seemed that I was shocking everything I touched with strong bursts of static electricity—it wasn't all that dry, but I guess I was somehow generating a lot of friction anyway or something. No pun intended.

Strangest of all, I was somehow acing everything I did in every class. Although I admittedly was not studying anywhere near as much as I should have been—basically, I wasn't studying at all—due to the amount of time I was spending with Thom, I _still _was somehow managing to get perfect scores on all my tests and essays. Writing essays and taking tests became a blur and I couldn't figure out how I was doing so well. These were not things that a person could just know from thinking really hard and making educated guesses. I was acing tests on the Greek language when the only Greek I was really hearing outside of class was "agapi mou." It was puzzling, but I didn't spend much time dwelling on it since it wasn't something one could really complain about.

But stranger things were yet to come.


	3. The Owl

**III.** The Owl

* * *

><p>I woke up one night to find myself walking down an unfamiliar street. I knew I was a sleepwalker, but I had never in my life gone farther than the next room over from my bedroom. I looked around the empty street, panicking. I looked down and saw that yes, my pajamas were on, and no, I didn't happen to grab anything useful, like, say, a map, as I was staggering out of the house. I couldn't have gone far—right? All the lights were dark, so I knew it must be late. It wasn't like I could just knock on a door and ask someone for help. Not that I would have, anyway—how embarrassing. I then saw a figure down the road coming towards me. A wave of relief washed over me and I just hoped the person would be friendly, helpful, and at least moderately good at English.<p>

As the figure neared me, I saw that it was a woman, and that she wore a golden, classical helmet and a golden breastplate. She had dark brown hair, which fell around her shoulders in the kind of perfect ringlets that would take me hours to do in my hair. She had a spear in one hand, and on her other arm, an owl was perched regally. I gaped, then closed my mouth. The Mitikas dream came back to mind. I had hoped for another one like it, perhaps this was my subconscious's answer to my wishes. It explained the sleeping-walking-out-to-the-middle-of-nowhere bit, which didn't make sense at all.

"Athena," I said, greeting her.

"Sophie," she said, bowing her head slightly in a respectful manner.

I must admit, this astounded me. _It's a dream, remember? _Still, the idea that the goddess of wisdom would have enough respect for me to _bow_? I couldn't imagine my subconscious coming up with that all on its own. I had plenty of self-respect, but not _that _much. At least, I didn't think I did. Well played, subconscious. Well played.

"I know what you're thinking," Athena said, giving me a half smile. She lifted her arm and the owl flew off. "This isn't a dream."

"That's exactly what you'd say if it was a dream," I said.

"I suppose I would," Athena chuckled softly. "All those aced tests and essays writing themselves—do you think those were dreams, too? Perhaps this whole trip is a dream, in that case!"

I hesitated, startled.

"What do my grades have to do with anything?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, I had a small hand in that," she said. "I suppose I figured that if you were too busy with schoolwork, you wouldn't be able to help us in our plight. But you haven't even begun to help us, and I've already had to… intervene, hm?"

"I guess," I said. "I really _do_ want to learn, though, it's just…"

"Thom?" Athena asked with a knowing smile.

"Thom," I said, feeling a bit foolish as I shrugged.

"Men, such a distraction to so many bright and promising young ladies," Athena shook her head, looking somewhat remorseful.

"Well I wouldn't expect you to understand," I said, remembering Athena's status as one of the virgin goddesses.

"Ah—Hades spoke the truth," Athena smiled.

"About?"

"You know your mythology," she said.

"Well, they aren't quite myths, apparently," I said.

"That's true," Athena nodded. "But more on topic… This… Thom. I know I can't convince you that there are… more important things in life. So be it. He seems to be a gentleman… But he's difficult to read. Most people's minds I can get into easily—even yours, and apparently you're someone special—but his is completely impenetrable."

"You can read minds?" I asked, fascinated.

"Yes," Athena said. "And so can you, if you wield my power. But you seem to have forgotten about your deal with the gods. How is that?"

"I—well, I figured it was a dream," I said. "There was nothing to make me think otherwise. And you all seem to have forgotten about me, anyway. You never even told me how to access those powers I was _supposed_ to be using."

"That was because there was no real presented threat until now," Athena said. "You've already been using the powers inadvertently. When you changed the weather patterns with your mood—that was from Zeus's power. So was all the electricity you've been generating in your body. And your impeccable grades? Well, that was my power."

"It feels like cheating when you put it that way," I said, feeling guilty.

"I don't think your peers would mind you cheating if they knew what you were doing for the world," Athena said.

"I'm not even sure what I'm meant to be doing," I grumbled, then paused. "Hold on—the weather?"

"When you're happy, the sun always seems to be shining," Athena said. "And when you're just a little bit down—it starts drizzling. And didn't you ever notice the distant rumblings of thunder _every _time you and Thom start to—"

"Yes, okay," I said. "Okay."

"Anyway," Athena said, clearing her throat. "All you need to do to access our powers is just will it to be. You can only use one god's power at a time, but if that god has multiple powers, you can use more than one at the same time. Understood?"

"Yes," I said. "But what _is _the threat, exactly?"

"We still aren't sure," Athena said, seeming somewhat embarrassed by this fact. "Someone is working with—or for, I don't know—the Titans, our predecessors. Believe me, you do not want to see what the world was like when the Titans lorded over it. Fortunately it was something _I _never had to see, but I have heard the awful tales. The plan, apparently, is to overthrow the Olympian gods and rule the world according to the Titans' liking. But the Titans are locked away in Tartarus and they aren't saying who their accomplice is."

"Well, if they're in Tartarus, shouldn't Hades be the one worrying about keeping them there?" I asked, frustrated that this charge was being placed on my relatively tiny shoulders. "I mean, it's sort of his domain…"

"This isn't the first time the Titans have plotted to overthrow us, Sophie," Athena said gravely, "but it's the first time the Fates have predicted the plot's success—the only hope for the Olympian gods is _you_."

"That's a lot of responsibility to put on an undergrad," I said nervously.

"Oh, I know you can do it," Athena said seriously.

"What, because the 'Fates foretold it'?" I asked, my voice dripping with a surprising amount of malice.

"No," Athena snapped. "Because you're a very strong girl, even with your… weakness."

I knew when she said "weakness," she meant Thom. This made me a little bit angry. Thom wasn't a weakness. If it came down to a choice between Thom and saving the world, I would choose the world. Probably. No, definitely. Because I _wasn't _in love with Thom. It was just a thing. I could end it tomorrow if I had to. But I didn't have to. So I wouldn't. I decided to change the subject.

"What are all of your powers, then?" I asked, wanting to know what cool abilities I had but wasn't using. Athena smiled.

"My powers are powers of the mind," Athena said, taking off her helmet and shaking her hair out. She led me over to a bench and we sat. "You already experienced the ability to draw any knowledge basically out of thin air. You mustn't try to draw too much out at once, however, or your mind won't be able to take the sheer volume. And you won't be able to retain any of it. Once you've used it—you may write it down or whatever—it will be gone. Of course, once you write the information down you may then read it back and perhaps you will then retain it. That is up to you."

I nodded.

"My other power is of mind reading. You may target any one person whose mind you wish to read, and you will be able to hear their thoughts. Just be careful with this one—it is not always good to be able to hear a person's thoughts. You may find yourself better off not using this one. Zeus's powers include the weather control, which you have unintentionally been using—it would probably be best if you learned to use it only when you mean to, as the strange weather patterns have been confusing meteorologists. Of course, you've been too distracted to pay attention to those news stories. The other power is of electricity in general. The static shocks were a manifestation of this, but it can be bigger—much bigger. You have the ability to generate your very own lightning, right out of your hands.

"Hera's power is of transfiguration. You can turn any single living thing into any other living thing. For example, you might turn your roommate into a cat or a tree. But this change is only temporary when done by a human, and I myself am not sure what the length of time would be. Poseidon will give you power over the water. The water will bend to your will when you use this power, and you can make it do whatever you desire—you could reenact _Exodus_ if you were so inclined, though I wouldn't recommend it. Once was enough. Apollo's power allows you to bend light to your will—you can decide what that might be useful for, because in all my wisdom I'm not quite sure of any useful applications. You also may get visions of the future—premonitions. That's part of his power, but it's not something you'll be able to consciously control.

"Similarly, Apollo's twin sister Artemis will give you the power to bend darkness. She also allows you to communicate with animals—not communicate as you and I are communicating, but in a special, more subtle kind of way. I don't know much about it, actually, but I'm assuming it's useful. Hermes—the messenger. His is the power of flight. Ares will be able to make you invulnerable—swords, guns, whatever. They won't be able to hurt you. But that's all his power can do, so if you need to fight back you'll have to let go of that power and use another.

"Aphrodite—well, her power is kind of interesting. I imagine it will mostly be useless, but I suppose it _could _come in handy… I don't know how, but… anyway, when you use her power, you become irresistible to all those around you. Men, women… it doesn't matter. Everyone who sees you will become immediately infatuated, and will stay that way at least until you switch the power out for another one."

"Interesting," I said, smiling. True, it probably wouldn't be very useful, but no one ever said I had to use my powers _solely _for the purpose of helping the gods, right? But then, I had Thom, so I really didn't have much use for it right now. Miraculously, he was attracted to me of his own accord.

"I don't even want to know what is going through your mind right now… Moving on. Hephaestus's power will allow you to control fire, just as Zeus lets you control electricity and Posideon water. Demeter gives you a healing ability, and Dionysus will make you invisible. That one could be _very _useful, I imagine. Hestia will allow you to teleport yourself, but only between wherever you are at the time and Mitikas. If you need to speak to any of us, just come to Mitikas and someone will greet you—probably Hestia. From there, we'll be able to send you off to wherever you need to be. Hm… is that everyone?"

"What about Hades?" I asked.

"Ah, yes, Hades," Athena said, sounding rather grumpy. I had the feeling she hadn't really forgotten him, she just didn't want to bring it up. "His power is rather useless as well—the Midas touch, so to speak. Except unlike with King Midas, the power can actually be turned off, and only works on _inanimate_ objects. So no turning your enemies into gold—now _that_ might be useful."

"I imagine," I said.

"Now I must go," Athena said, standing, "but take this for protection."

She held out her hand and in it was a necklace with a small carved wooden owl head pendant. I took it and slipped the necklace over my head.

"I'll wear it always," I said.

"Good," Athena said, taking my hand and standing me up. She smiled. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>I awoke, sitting up straight, gasping for air and grasping at my neck. I felt the wooden pendant and stood, walking to the mirror. Athena's pendant hung there, just as I had put it. It wasn't a dream.<p> 


	4. The Warning

**IV.** The Warning

* * *

><p>I didn't sleep that night, and I couldn't bring myself to take the pendant off the next day. Not in the shower, not when I was getting dressed. The pendant was rather old-fashioned looking, of course, and therefore didn't exactly go with the kind of clothes I normally wear. Actually, it probably would have better suited Hannah, who sometimes went for that vintage hipster kind of look. But I couldn't—wouldn't—take it off. Athena's warning stuck with me, and more importantly, the fact that the Greek gods were <em>real <em>and my dream on Mitikas was not actually a dream… that _really _stuck with me. And anyway, I had made a promise. I told her I'd wear it. Always. I thought it unwise to break a promise made to a powerful goddess.

Some things were not entirely clear to me about the previous night, however. I couldn't figure out, for example, if I had actually physically left my apartment and gone to meet Athena, or if she had in some way come to me in a sort of dream-vision thing. I stupidly didn't think to check the soles of my feet before I showered. My feet were a bit sore, but I had been walking a considerable amount in recent days, so they likely would have been sore either way. Obviously if I had done the sleepwalking thing, it was through some sort of summoning of the gods. I was sure they had that kind of power to use if they so pleased, so it wasn't a stretch. But then, how did I get back to my bed? I was aware of the goddess bidding me goodnight, and then waking up immediately afterwards in my bed. But I know how sleep can skew one's perception of time. Perhaps after saying farewell, Athena put me back to sleep and sent me on my way. But that didn't seem right, somehow.

I guess, in the end, it didn't matter. The fact was, gods existed. It was a big shock to a long-time unquestioning atheist coming from a family of monotheists. Bigger than that, I had these powers that I wasn't sure how to control and didn't know a whole lot about. Athena had run through the various things I could do, but it was a lot to take in, and I still wasn't entirely sure how to harness those powers. Hopefully it would come in time for whatever I needed it for. So I just had to "will it to be." Okay. Whatever that meant.

I was lying on my bed, fully dressed and ready for the day, contemplating all of this when Hannah walked in, fresh from her morning run. I watched her quietly, thinking about Athena's words, as she prepared herself for the day. Her mention of mind-reading powers crossed my thoughts. Athena had warned me against abusing the power, but I would need to test it out if it was ever to be of any use to me. Just this once. I focused, narrowing my eyes and looking at Hannah as I _willed _Athena's power to come to me.

At once, Hannah's thoughts filled my mind. It was a strange sensation, listening in on another person's thoughts. Hannah's voice was distinctly there, but it wasn't just a steady stream as if she were speaking the words to me. Her thoughts were just that—thoughts. Scattered, like mine or anyone else's. Sometimes abstract. Somehow, it was not at all how I had imagined mind-reading would be, but it made sense. Why would Hannah's thoughts seem any different than my own? Luckily, I didn't come upon anything too personal. All she was thinking about was her upcoming day and the things she needed to do to prepare for it. I quickly pulled out of her mind. I wondered briefly if she could feel my mind worming around inside hers.

I didn't have to be to class for several hours, but it was a nice day, so I headed out for a walk. As I passed strangers on the streets, I took quick peeks into their minds, testing my new power. I realized that most of them must not have been native English speakers, and yet I understood all of their thoughts. I wondered about this and resolved to ask Athena about it if I ever had the opportunity to speak with her again. It was an enlightening experience to see into the minds of complete strangers and to see what it was that worried or thrilled them. I saw people's excitement, their anticipation, their trepidation. I saw what they feared and what they loved. I quickly found there was a certain side effect to this power—I felt what _they _felt. I could read the mind of a person I'd never seen before and feel my heart burst with joy because of their newborn grandson. And then I could read another's mind and feel myself on the verge of tears because of their recent loss. Soon enough, I was completely overwhelmed by the variety of emotions and had to stop myself. I stepped into a used bookshop to distract myself.

I had found that there were not very many book stores in Athens, so I was pleased to find this one, even if most of the books were in Greek. I just liked the feeling of being among quiet stacks of books. I breathed deeply, trying to clear my mind and focus on my own thoughts. I found a small section of English-language books and began browsing the titles. Someone came and stood next to me, also looking at the English-language books, but I didn't bother to look up. My eye rested on a Greek mythology volume. A hand reached out to take it just as I was about to reach for it myself.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I looked up. The owner of the hand—and the English accent—turned out to be a bookishly handsome young man about five inches taller than me. "Did you want this?"

He held out the book to me.

"No, it's okay," I said, smiling. "You saw it first."

"You should have it," he insisted, pressing the book into my hands. "I have a few mythology books of my own, anyway."

"Thanks," I said, taking the book.

He smiled and nodded. I studied him for a moment. He had the ever-so-slightly unkempt look of a serious academic—his tousled brown hair and mid-morning five-o'-clock shadow indicated to me that he had better things to be doing than worrying about his appearance. But he didn't really need to worry about it, since he seemed to be as naturally gifted in the looks department as Thom was. His smile was a little crooked, and might've been better described as a smirk, although that seems to imply a certain level of conceitedness which I didn't really sense. I began to turn away, when he spoke again, a little forcedly.

"So—you're interested in mythology?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "A, um… friend was talking about it, and… it seemed interesting."

It wasn't a _total _lie.

"It is," he nodded, his eyes lighting up. "There are so many interesting stories—all different kinds. Creation stories, stories about heroes, stories about love... Some of them are even true."

I forced myself to laugh.

"You don't really believe that," I said, and he just smiled. "Well, thank you for this, but… I don't have any money on me, so you can have it."

"Let me buy it for you," he said, pulling a wallet out of his back pocket.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that," I said, smiling and waving my hands in the air.

"I'd like to, though," he said. "I think you'll really enjoy this book."

"You're very kind," I said. "I wouldn't feel right, though. I don't even know you."

"Well, maybe we can get to know each other," he said.

"Maybe," I said, cocking my head to the side slightly as I looked at him—I couldn't tell if he was trying to flirt with me or just being friendly. I was never very good at picking up on these kinds of things.

"You know, you're quite beautiful," he said, reaching forward and pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

I took a step back abruptly. Well, that answered my question.

"I—I have a boyfriend," I said.

"Does that mean I can't think you're beautiful?" he frowned.

"Well, I'd rather you didn't say so," I said honestly. I certainly wasn't about to flirt back.

"So, you must be serious about him, then?" he asked.

"I'd say so," I said, feeling awkward discussing my relationship status with someone whose name I didn't even know.

"That's too bad," he looked genuinely concerned.

"Um… well, maybe I'll see you around," I said, backing away, trying to exit the situation which had so suddenly become awkward.

"Wait—" he stepped after me as I started heading quickly towards the door.

"Bye," I said.

Then I felt a hand close around my wrist. I turned quickly back towards the man, genuinely enraged that he had the nerve to touch me. I felt sparks of static electricity shocking us both at the point where his hand was still closed around my skin. He didn't even seem to notice, and he certainly didn't flinch. He was looking at me with deadly seriousness now, his lips pressed together in a solid line. Something told me this guy meant danger, but at the same time, I had this feeling that he didn't intend to harm me. I wasn't sure which instinct to trust.

"Be careful," he said in a hushed voice.

"What?" I asked.

"Just—be wary," he said through gritted teeth, voice still a loud whisper. "Be wary of Thom."

I felt my stomach drop and I knew my face had probably blanched. How did this random guy know my boyfriend's name? The multitude of possibilities all just seemed completely ridiculous, and I didn't know what to make of it. It took a moment for me to realize I had the power to figure this out. Without another word, I pressed my way into the stranger's mind and found—

Nothing. It was as though I'd hit a wall. There was complete silence. Or darkness. I couldn't hear a peep, couldn't conjure up a single one of this man's thoughts. Pulling out of his mind, I gasped, finding that I had been holding my breath.

"Who _are_ you?" I panted, staring at his face, hoping it would give me some kind of clue.

"I'm just a friend," he said, finally letting go of the tight grip he had on my wrist. "That's all."

"Stay away from me," I said, and quickly ran out of the book shop.

* * *

><p>I ran the only place I could think to go—straight to Thom's apartment. I didn't usually show up uninvited, but we had been dating for long enough that I felt I would be welcome, and these were unusual circumstances. He opened the door, looking at me confusedly.<p>

"Sophie—this is, ah… quite unexpected," he said. "Are you—"

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "Is this a… bad time?"

"Well, it's not exactly _convenient_…" Thom said, glancing back into his apartment.

"If you have company or something, I could… could come back…" I said, frowning, forcing back tears of frustration which seemed to be coming up despite my best efforts to quash them.

"No, it's not—" he began, but before he finished the sentence I had lost the battle and tears began rolling down my face. "Oh."

He reached forward and hugged me briefly, then brought me inside and sat me down on the couch. He took my hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I wiped the tears away, already considerably calmer now that I was sitting and was being given the opportunity to tell Thom what was going on.

"I… I was at the book store and this guy was flirting with me," I said. "And I told him I had a boyfriend, of course, because I was… a little uncomfortable. And then I was trying to leave and he grabbed me and told me to be careful… of you."

My wrist was still sore from where the mysterious young man had been gripping it so tightly, and now I rubbed at the spot to try to ease the soreness. Thom took my hand in both of his and brought my wrist up to his lips. Then he rubbed it gently with his thumbs as he spoke.

"He told you to be careful of your boyfriend?" he asked. "That's silly, Sophie… You're too smart to let yourself get worked up so much about something like that."

"No," I said. "He told me to be careful of _you_. He knew your name. He said… 'be careful'… No, 'be _wary _of Thom.'"

Thom looked very serious then, "I see."

"What—what do you think it means?" I asked. "Do you think he's been… following me or something? I don't think I've ever seen him before. And that seems silly, that someone would follow… me."

It never occurred to me that I should actually be wary of Thom. He had never done anything that made him seem unworthy of my trust in any way.

"Hm," he said, and I could see that he was thinking. "That… must be it. You're a very beautiful woman, Sophie. You shouldn't be so surprised that a man would be so interested in you. Just promise you'll be careful—and let me know if you see that man again. I want you to always be safe."

I wished I could tell Thom everything. About the Olympians, my powers, the mind-reading. I knew I could trust him. But I didn't know how he would react—maybe he would think I was crazy. And I knew that the gods and goddesses would not approve of that decision. So I kept my mouth shut, at least for now. Maybe in the future I would need to tell him, but for now I could live without it. I wished there was _someone _I could tell. It was certainly the biggest secret I had ever kept, and I had kept quite a few secrets in my life.

"Can I stay here until tonight?" I asked. "I don't want to go to class. I just… don't feel safe right now."

"Of course," Thom said, pulling me forward and kissing me on the forehead, then stroking my hair. "Of course."

* * *

><p>Thom walked me home that night, leaving me at the doorstep. I headed upstairs and got ready for bed, exhausted from the mental toll the day had taken. When I finally was ready to head to bed, the rest of the house was quiet, my three housemates fast asleep already. I tiptoed into the dark bedroom I shared with Hannah and pulled back the blankets and sheets. I had to stifle a scream when I saw something sitting right below my pillow.<p>

There it was. The volume on Greek mythology I had held in my hands at the book store. Shakily, I reached towards it and picked it up. I opened the front cover and a small, bookmark-shaped piece of paper fell out. I picked it up.

_I know. Your secret's safe with me. Be careful._

My heart was pounding. There was only one secret the note could be referring to, but how could anyone else know the secret when I hardly knew it myself? I wondered how the man had gotten into my room without my roommates knowing—or maybe they did know? I didn't want to alarm them if someone had, in fact, broken into our house, so I would have to see if they brought it up. I wanted to run and tell Thom, but… how could I? I couldn't tell him my secret, at least not yet.

I stared at the book and the note I held in my hand. I sat down on the bed. I knew better than to think I would be getting any sleep tonight.


	5. The Tree

**V.** The Tree

* * *

><p>It took me a week or so to stop looking over my shoulder constantly. Part of me was afraid that I would see the stranger from the bookshop again, but another part of me secretly hoped that I would, if only to get some answers. If I saw him again, I would have a clearer mind about it. After all, I had nothing to fear from him—I had the powers of the gods behind me, and next time I would remember that. I would use those powers if I saw him again… I wasn't sure how, but I would. Lately, I had been practicing using Hephaestus's and Zeus's powers, just in case. I had only been able to send small bolts of electricity out and create lighter-sized flames from my fingertips, but it was a start. It would at least be enough to impress someone who wasn't expecting it. But it seemed to me that this stranger <em>would <em>be expecting it, based on his cryptic note—but just how much did he know, exactly?

I started to carry the mythology book with me. Despite the worrying way that it had come into my possession, I couldn't dispute its usefulness. I flicked through it whenever I had a spare moment between classes or while waiting on Thom or my roommates. I was sitting on the stoop one day waiting for Thom, reading the story of Danaë and Zeus's golden rain, and the subsequent birth of Perseus. It seemed sort of an unpleasant thing for Zeus to do, and I was resolving to give Zeus a stern talking-to about it if we were ever to meet again when Erika came outside and sat down next to me.

"What'cha readin'?" she asked, leaning back and craning her neck, absorbing the sunlight.

I closed the book on my fingers so she could see the cover.

"Should've guessed," she said. "Do you go anywhere without that thing?"

"Not really," I said, laughing a little. "It's really interesting stuff."

"Yeah, but surely you must've read through all of it by now," Erika said. "Where'd ya' get it from, anyway?"

"A… friend gave it to me," I sort of mumbled.

"You mean Thom," Erika said, and I turned to see her smirking at me.

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

"Well, we're all broke college students and you don't really hang out with anyone else," Erika shrugged. "I assumed—wasn't it Thom?"

"Actually no," I said, turning back to the book.

"Ooh, intrigue," Erika said, but thankfully didn't push further on the subject. "Let me see that thing."

I handed her the book and she flipped it open to the chapter list. She skimmed her finger along the list, commenting on a couple stories that she knew a thing or two about. Then she turned back to the very front of the book. Printed on the front end paper was a simplistic family tree, mainly focusing on the Olympians, to which I had never really paid much attention. I looked over it briefly when I first acquired the book, but having a basic knowledge of the family of the gods, I didn't study it much. Erika was squinting at it now, and I wondered what about it was just so damn interesting to her.

"What's this here all about?" she asked, pointing at something on the tree.

"Hm?" I leaned closer to her and looked down at where her finger was pointed.

Next to Apollo's name was a short vertical line, drawn faintly in pencil, linking his name to the initials—I assumed they were initials, anyway—E.L. Perpendicular to the vertical line was a line leading down to the letters L.L.

"Weird, I never noticed that before," I said. "I think it was a used book, so who knows what that's about?"

To be truthful, I had an idea of who might have penciled those letters in, but Erika didn't need to know that. And even if the mysterious stranger had been the one to make this addition to the family tree of the gods, what exactly did it mean? I didn't want to entertain any of the ideas that came to mind immediately. It seemed fruitless. I knew it wasn't a used book, at least not when I picked it up at that shop. I could be pretty certain whose scratchy writing this was, but I still couldn't know what it was about, unless I could somehow ask him. Now more than ever I hoped to run into the stranger again.

Erika gave me the book back and headed back inside, and I began to flip through its pages, searching for any other signs of its being marked up by its previous owner. I found none, but I decided this new discovery required a more thorough perusal of the book's pages later that night when I got home. I put the book in my messenger bag as I saw Thom ride up on his motorcycle. He gave me a quick kiss as he handed me his helmet.

"So, where are we going today?"

* * *

><p>I sat next to Thom on a dark green blanket he had spread beneath the largest, shadiest tree we could find at the National Garden in central Athens. We had just finished off a picnic lunch he had made, and we leaned against the tree's thick trunk, Thom with his arm around my shoulders. As dates go, it was rather perfect. My level of comfort combined with my full stomach almost lulled me to sleep right then and there, as we sat in relaxed silence. Then Thom glanced at my open book bag and broke the silence.<p>

"What have you been reading?" he asked, seeing the book that I had placed with the spine facing the bottom so that the pages faced outward.

"It's a book of Greek myths," I said, yawning. "Really cool stuff."

"It is interesting, isn't it?" Thom said, looking pensive. "Fairy tales. They've always fascinated, haven't they?"

"How can you be so sure that's what they are?" I asked, feeling rather bold.

"Aren't they?" Thom said, and I looked up to see him smile.

"What _do _you believe in, anyway?" I asked—it was a big question, but I figured it was one that we should be ready for at this point, and certainly one that needed to be asked.

"Oh, I don't know," he said, waving a hand nonchalantly—though I suspected he _did _know but just wasn't very interested in the discussion of it. "I believe in a higher power, yes, but it's not very interesting."

"It is to _me_," I said.

"Well, maybe some other day," he said. "I don't think today's quite the day for such a… a philosophical discussion."

"I guess," I agreed, resolving to drop the subject for now.

"By the way… where was it you found that book?" Thom asked.

"At… the book store," I said, not having a prepared lie and for some reason not wanting to tell Thom the truth about this. I was afraid if I told him part of the truth, I'd have to tell him the _whole _truth—about the note and all. A lie just seemed easier, somehow.

"_The _book store?" Thom asked. "Would that be the same book store you met that strange man at that you told me about?"

"It's the only one I know," I admitted.

"I didn't know you bought a book that day," Thom said. "I suppose I assumed you were too busy trying to get away from… that man."

"I was—I mean, I didn't get it that day," I said, improvising. "I went back."

"Even after what happened?" Thom said.

"I wasn't really thinking, I guess," I said. "I haven't really thought about that day much at all, actually."

That seemed like an even bigger lie, considering how I had thought of little else since that day. But the lies were just piling one on top of the other, and I couldn't stop now.

"Well, I'd prefer it if you took me with you next time," Thom said.

"I will," I said, honestly unsure at that point about whether or not I'd be able to keep that promise.

"I don't feel right about you being alone at all, actually," he said. "I wish you would keep your roommates near you, at least, when I can't be around."

"Well, that's not really a plausible request," I said. "They have lives, too, you know."

"I want you to be safe," he said. "That's all."

"I'm quite capable of defending myself, thanks," I said—while I appreciated his protectiveness to an extent, it was rather unnecessary, especially as I was pretty careful.

"Sophie, you have no concept of the dangers this world has to offer," Thom said somewhat darkly.

I wiggled myself away from him and turned, sitting cross-legged, to look him directly in the eyes.

"You'd be surprised," I said.

"I don't think I would, actually," he said. "I think you _think _you know—but you only see a small fraction of the big picture. There's so much more out there that—well, never mind. Can I borrow this?"

He snatched the Greek mythology volume out of my bag. Something made me feel uneasy about parting with it. Oddly, it had become a sort of security blanket to me, in a way. But even as I thought this, I realized the ridiculousness of this thought process and tried to push those ideas away. I should probably find some new literature, anyway, and stop obsessing over the so-called myths.

"Sure," I said.

"Thanks," Thom said, tossing it onto the blanket beside him.

I lay back on the blanket in the opposite direction from Thom now. I rested my feet on the tree trunk, my legs now at an angle with the ground. I stared up at the tree's branches, at the light shining through the leaves. When I brought my gaze back down, I saw that Thom was looking up, too. The look on his face was one I had not seen from him before, a look of seemingly genuine and unashamed appreciation. He had, it seemed, a kind of serious respect for this tree, or maybe for nature in general, I couldn't be sure. I decided more of our dates should take place at outdoor locales such as this one, if only for that look. With that look, I lost some of the annoyance our previous conversation had brought me.

I wondered what he was thinking, and my desire to know was suddenly quite intense. So far, I had avoided prying into my boyfriend's mind. It seemed like a bad idea, something that could never lead to anything good. I could tell that he liked me, had feelings for me, whatever you want to call it—that was all I really needed to know. But I figured it couldn't hurt to know what he was thinking about _right now _since it obviously didn't pertain to me. Just this once, I told myself. Concentrating, I pushed into his mind the way I had into Hannah's and… again, I hit that wall, as I had with the stranger. Frustrated, I gave up for now. Perhaps I just didn't have enough experience, or something. Maybe some minds were harder to crack than others. After all, Hannah was pretty open with her thoughts most of the time, while Thom typically required a bit of pressing to discover what was on his mind. I imagined this could play some role in how easy a person's mind was to read, but this was all guesswork for me. I wished I could have the gods' direct help in accessing and mastering their powers, but I supposed they had more important things to be doing. Then again, I was supposedly some great savior of the world, so shouldn't I take first priority?

These things weren't really worth pondering, I decided. Hypotheticals usually weren't. As I looked back up at the tree and above it, the sky, I tried to appreciate it as much as my boyfriend apparently did, as much as I imagined the gods who created them would want me to.


	6. The Lie

**VI.** The Lie

* * *

><p>I found myself sitting alone in a crowded little café, nursing a hot breakfast tea as I silently questioned my decision-making skills. The previous afternoon, when I'd arrived home from my classes, I'd found a mysterious note on my pillow instructing me to come to this particular remote teashop at this time. It was pretty obvious to me that it must be from the stranger from the bookshop—I couldn't imagine there was anyone else who was so furtively trying to contact me. I had decided to come, despite the nagging part of me that said it was most assuredly a bad idea. The desire for answers was what drove me here. And I figured, in such a public location, it had to be safe. So here I was, waiting.<p>

Finally, I saw him. His messy brown hair had more of a reddish tint than I remembered, but his shadow of stubble was intact. He had glasses on, which I didn't remember him wearing before, and he had a black messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He adjusted his glasses as he looked anxiously around the café. When his eyes finally rested on me, his lips curled into a smug half-smile and he pushed his way through the narrow spaces between tables to get to mine.

"I knew you'd come," he said, putting his bag down on the table and sitting across from me.

"No you didn't," I said, having seen his look of uncertainty as he searched for my table.

An unruly lock of hair fell in the middle of his forehead as he looked down at the table with a smile but said nothing. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the hair back into place. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. I realized this felt more like a meeting with a school acquaintance, and it occurred to me that I should be thinking of it more as what it was—a meeting with a stranger, quite possibly a dangerous one. Still, we seemed to be pretending it was some kind of amicable lunch date, so I thought it best to keep up that pretense while staying on guard.

"Are you going to get something?" I asked, gesturing towards the counter where one could order drinks and pastries.

"Nah," he said, shaking his head and running his fingers back through his hair.

"All business then," I said, pushing my own—now empty—cup away.

"If you say so," he said. "Now Sophie—"

"No, why don't you let _me _start?" I said forcibly, sitting up straight and putting my hands flat in front of me on the table. "For starters, what is _your _name? Since you seem to know mine already."

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes as though I was wasting is time. I felt as though he had no right to be frustrated after what he'd been putting _me_ through.

"My name isn't important," he said.

"All the same, I think I have the right to know who it is that's breaking into my apartment, following me around—basically stalking me," I said in hushed tones. "Don't you?"

"It isn't like that," he said, rolling his head and rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Well, you can tell me what it _is _like after you've at least told me your name," I said. "It's a little weird to do anything without a proper introduction, anyway."

"It's Lowell," he said. "That's my last name. Is that good enough for you?"

"Fine. For now," I said, then leaned forward "So, _who the fuck are you_?"

"That's a rather complicated question that we'll get to later," he said. "More important is who _you _are."

"Pretty sure I know who I am," I said, leaning back and crossing my arms.

"And so do I," Lowell said.

I scoffed, "Look buddy, I don't know what you think you know, but…"

"I know you climbed Mitikas by yourself," he said, leaning forward across the table now and speaking so only we could hear. "I know what happened to you there. I know you were visited by gods, and I know that you have a special purpose. The gods gave you a gift so that you can do something for them. And I know that I'm not the only one who's been watching you—there are others, and they want to harm you. They want to stop you. I don't. I want to help."

"Fairy tales," I said apprehensively.

"You don't have to play that game with me," Lowell said. "I've known of the gods my whole life."

"And why should I believe you?" I asked. "If you did want to harm me, it's not like you'd say so."

"What have I ever done to harm you?" he asked.

"Just because you haven't yet doesn't mean you won't," I said.

"True," he said. "That's good—cautious. You _should _be cautious. I just wish you would be more cautious in other areas of your life."

"You mean Thom," I said.

"For one."

"Thom has _never _done a thing that should make me suspicious," I said.

"I would think perfection should make one suspicious," Lowell said.

"I think you're just jealous," I said.

"I won't say I'm not," Lowell said, looking at me pointedly. "But that's beside the point."

"What _is _the point?" I asked. "Do you even have any legitimate evidence that Thom has some intention to harm me?"

"Well… no," Lowell said. "Not as such… but I _know _he does. To explain my reasoning would take too much time, you just have to take my word for it."

"I'll do no such thing," I said. "I've met you a grand total of _once _before. And after all this talk, you still haven't told me a thing about yourself or who you are."

Lowell rubbed at his stubbly chin for a contemplative moment, "Did you bring the book?"

"What book?" I asked.

"The book I gave you, obviously," he said irritably.

"Oh, you mean the book you creepily snuck into my apartment, of course," I said. "No. I don't have it."

"You… What? What do you mean you don't have it?" Lowell asked, his brow furrowing slowly.

"I mean just that," I said, my own irritation growing in synchronicity with Lowell's. "Thom wanted to borrow it—I let him."

"Thom," Lowell said, taking a deep breath in and closing his eyes. "Thom has the book?"

"Yes," I said.

He slammed a fist down on the table, shouting a quick series of expletives. He gained a few curious or aggravated glances from the surrounding tables, and a raised eyebrow from me. I stood.

"I've had about enough of this," I said. "I think I'll be going now. Don't contact me again."

I grabbed my things quickly and began pushing my way towards the door.

"Sophie—wait," I heard Lowell call after me, but I ignored him and headed on my merry way.

He caught up with me halfway down the street. I had been walking at the fastest pace my legs would take me while still keeping one foot on the ground at all times, but his long spindly legs gave him a longer stride than my own. He was persistent; I had to give him that.

"What do you _want_?" I snapped, whirling toward him when he touched my arm.

"I think it's pretty obvious that I want you to listen," he said.

"Well, I think I've made it patently clear that I'm not prepared to listen unless you're prepared to tell me a little bit about yourself and how you know all this," I said.

"Listen—I'll make you a deal," he said. "Get that book back and I'll tell you anything you want to know about me."

"And how will I find you once I've got the book back?"

"When you get the book back, I'll find you," he promised. "And in the meantime, be careful of Thom."

"Oh… leave Thom out of this, why don't you?" I asked. "I mean, it's cute that you like me, I'm flattered, but I am not interested, and I'm never going to be interested, so you might as well give up now."

"Never say never, love," Lowell said with a little smirk. "But that isn't the point. Thom is dangerous, and I know deep down you can feel it too, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself."

"Bullshit," I responded quickly.

"Oh?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Did you tell him where you were going today?"

"Well, no, but I didn't _not _tell him where I was going—he didn't ask," I said. "It… didn't come up."

"Ah, okay," Lowell said, feigning defeat, though his smug expression said he knew he was still winning. "So he knows where you got the book from, then? Knows about my little note?"

"Well…"

"Yes. Well," he reached toward my face, but I recoiled. "I'll be seeing you."

* * *

><p>"So, where would you like to go tonight?" Thom asked, rooting around for something in his bedroom closet as I sat on a stool in his kitchen.<p>

"Oh… I don't know," I said, nervously twirling the seat from side to side. "I was thinking we could just stay in tonight, you know? Just… relax?"

"Okay," Thom said. "I could cook dinner if you'd like."

"I would like that a lot," I smiled—in my experience, Thom's cooking was the very best, probably because of the fantastic fresh ingredients he used.

Thom came into the kitchen and stood in front of me, putting his hands on my hips to stop me from twirling the stool. He smiled and kissed me on the nose quickly, then on the mouth, for longer. He stood in front of me and looked intently at my face, brushing wisps of hair away from it. I looked back at him, my earlier conversation with Lowell seeming completely absurd now. There wasn't a harmful bone in this man's body. He always seemed to wear that same soft, kind expression, and in his eyes I couldn't sense a hint of malice—only affection. I was quite sure he cared for me more than I cared for him. I liked him, yes, and he was obviously a great boyfriend, not to mention enormously handsome, but I wasn't in love with him, and I didn't think I ever would be. I got that nice warm and fuzzy feeling when we were together, and yes, making out with him was pretty hot. But that initial spark had quickly fizzled and things had become pretty stagnant, at least from where I was sitting. Still, the way he looked at me so adoringly made it worthwhile. Everyone knows it feels good to feel wanted, and I was definitely not prepared to give that up. Especially not because of some jealous weirdo's lies.

Thom cooked me some of my favorite Greek plates for dinner, and I gobbled them up happily. When we were finished, I helped wash the dishes and then pulled Thom into his bedroom. Standing by the bed, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him softly. I pulled away and looked at him, taking a deep breath.

"I think I'm ready," I said quietly. "Do you have a condom?"

He nodded slowly, and I put my arms back around his neck, kissing him again, harder, and pulling him closer, tighter. He put a hand on the small of my back, and the other under my calf, lifting me up so I could wrap my legs around him as he carried me to the bed. As he laid me down, he ran his fingers across my neck softly.

"I love you," he said.

I inhaled sharply. I didn't say anything back as he kissed my neck. I wasn't a liar. I may have lied, but I wasn't a liar.

* * *

><p>I awoke, cold. I reached over and found that the bed was empty beside me. I blinked blearily, squinting at the dark room around me. I considered what had transpired earlier in the night. To say the least, it wasn't what I had expected, but I suppose novels and movies tend to romanticize things quite a bit. As gentle and adoring as Thom is in everyday life, I suppose I expected to have some sort of mind-blowing, unforgettable, perfect first time experience. But it wasn't really any of that. I guess unforgettable, yeah, but only because it was the first time, and I think it typically is just for the novelty of it.<p>

Thom was pretty controlling about the whole thing, though I imagine he was just trying to make it enjoyable, and figured since he was the more experienced one, he should guide the whole process. It wasn't all that enjoyable, though, so he sort of failed in that department. He seemed to get some enjoyment out of it, anyway, but I guess the passive role isn't really my cup of tea. Next time, I determined, it would definitely be better. Everyone's first time is awkward, after all, so the next had to be better. Right?

Wondering where Thom was, I got up and wrapped a sheet around myself, toga style. I pushed the door open and walked out into the hallway. I saw a light and followed it out to the living room area, where I saw Thom sitting at his desk, leaning over something.

"Thom?" I said. "What are you doing? Come back to bed."

He stood slowly, then turned, holding the book I'd leant him open to the front end papers. I studied his expression. He looked… angry. It was an expression I wasn't used to seeing on his face, and it frightened me.

"What is this?" he asked.

"That—that's the book you borrowed from me," I said shakily. "What's wrong?"

"This," he said, thrusting the book forward in one hand and pointing at something on the page with the index finger of his other hand.

I stepped forward cautiously to see what he was pointing to. Squinting in the dim light, I saw the penciled-in "E.L." and "L.L." I had forgotten that they were there—there were a lot of other things demanding my attention as of late.

"O-okay…" I said slowly. "Someone wrote in the book. What's your point?"

"The _point_… is that you lied to me," Thom said, taking a step toward me and tossing the book to the ground as I took a step back.

"Lied?" I asked quietly, completely baffled by this previously unknown side of Thom.

"Don't give me that innocent bullshit," Thom said, reaching toward me. "I see right through you now. There's no need for us to pretend anymore."

I ducked and ran behind him as he attempted to lunge at me.

"Pretend?" I asked. "I didn't know we _were _pretending. I thought—I thought you—who _are _you?"

"You really don't know then," Thom said, turning to me and smiling crookedly, then laughed frenziedly. "You actually thought… Oh, dear, you are naïve. And you're supposed to save them all? What a joke."

"He was right," I breathed.

"Yes, he was right," Thom said. "Your little friend at the bookshop. Don't know who he is or how he found out yet—what a pest. But I'll be rid of him soon. Just after I take care of you."

"If you're going to kill me, why didn't you just do it in the first place?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Kill you?" Thom laughed again. "Oh, no. If I kill you, your power dies with you… I'm just a little too greedy for that."

He sprang forward again, this time reaching toward my neck and grabbing hold. I had a sudden moment of clarity as I felt his hand squeezing my trachea. I grabbed onto Thom's arms and concentrated on thoughts of Hephaestus. Just as I began to see blotches of black in my vision, fire sprang forth from my hands, more powerful than any time I had practiced. Thom's sleeves caught on fire and he quickly let go of me in surprise. Thom shrieked and batted at his arms. Whatever he was, clearly he wasn't impervious to fire. I made note of that. I coughed, rubbing my neck as I regained my composure. Gathering up the bottom of my sheet-toga to keep it from dragging along the ground and tripping me, I hurried out of Thom's unit and outside. I wasn't sure where to go. Thom knew where I lived, of course, but I didn't have anywhere else. This was supposed to be my safe place.

Before I could make a decision, someone leapt out from the shadows, offering a hand. Lowell.

"Believe me now?"


	7. The Sun

**VII.** The Sun

* * *

><p>I sat by a roaring fireplace, a large mug of chamomile tea cradled in my lap. I was in Lowell's oversized t-shirt and sweatpants and he had put a heavy blanket over my shoulders. He had put a vinyl record on once he got me settled into the large chair by the fireplace and now Johnny Mathis was crooning "Chances Are" quietly over the crackling wood. Lowell walked out of the kitchen with a plate of cheese and crackers.<p>

"Sorry, I'm not much of a cook—"

"I'm not hungry," I said coldly, putting a hand up to reject the plate.

"Okay," Lowell said, putting the plate down on a side table. "Is there anything you do want?"

"Some answers would be nice," I said, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

Lowell sat down in a chair across from me.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, spreading his arms out to indicate his openness to questioning.

"Let's start with your name," I said, looking him directly in the eye. "Your first name. You know so much about me, I need some information about you."

"It's Laurie," he said, after a moment's hesitation. "Short for Laurence."

"Laurence Lowell," I said, looking him over and thinking. After a few moments, something occurred to me. "L.L… The letters."

"What?" Laurie said, feigning ignorance unconvincingly.

"Don't start," I said. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. The letters on the family tree in the book you gave me. And why would you give the book to me if you didn't want me to know?"

"I do… want you to know," Laurie sighed, looking conflicted. "I'm just so used to keeping it a secret, denying it. It's not a safe secret to have."

"And what is that secret, exactly?" I asked, needing clarity.

"Apollo… is my father," Laurie said.

I involuntarily inhaled sharply. It was the answer I was expecting, but it was still jarring to hear it said aloud.

"So what does that make you?" I asked.

"A demigod, I suppose," Laurie said, cringing—it was clear he didn't like that term.

"And your mother…"

"Was a mortal, yes," Laurie filled in. "It still happens just as much as it did in ancient times—gods falling in love with mortal women, having demigod children. The world doesn't believe in those gods anymore, though, so the mothers either keep quiet or get thrown into asylums."

"Yeah," I said—that made sense. "And your mother—who is she?"

"Her name was Elizabeth," Laurie said.

"Was?"

"Yeah, was," Laurie said—it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, if you don't want to talk about that, tell me about you," I said. "Who are you, why are you here, why are you trying to help me? Why should I even trust you? I thought I could trust Thom. He was my boyfriend. You're just a stranger."

"That's a lot of questions," Laurie said.

"Okay," I said. "Do you need me to break it down for you? How old are you?"

"Twenty-five," he said.

"What do you do?" I asked. "Or do you just—run around helping girls who were chosen by the gods to save the world or whatever?"

"Well, that's something that doesn't happen every day," he chuckled. "I go to grad school at University College London. Well, I was supposed to be. Obviously that's being postponed."

"What were you going to go to school for?"

"Archaeology," he responded.

"Oh?" I said interestedly. "So… like me."

"Yeah, I know," he said, looking at the ground.

He seemed a far cry now from that somewhat cocky guy I had met in the coffee shop. I guess stripping away the mystery humbled him in a way.

"So you live in London normally?" I asked.

"Yeah," he responded.

"So why are you here, helping me?" I asked. "Or trying to."

"Because I'd rather not see the world go to hell," he said. "And you trying to do this on your own, it seems like it most certainly will."

"Excuse you," I said angrily. "I didn't ask for this."

"I know, I know," he said. "That's why you need help. And apparently it has to be you, so whatever, I guess."

"Well I'm very sorry to inconvenience you," I said sarcastically.

"No, it isn't like that," Laurie said, backtracking and rubbing his forehead in frustration. "I want to help. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. I wasn't even sure I was going to, but then I met you…"

He lifted his eyes from the floor to look at my face. When his steady, intense gaze met I was sure my face turned bright red. I hoped the light flickering from the fireplace would disguise it. I shifted awkwardly. I needed to change the subject.

"So, um, how did you know about this whole situation?" I asked. "I mean, I seriously doubt they have an email newsletter…"

"No, no," he chuckled. "My dad paid me a little visit. Told me about the whole thing. Asked if I could help you out."

"He just came to visit you?" I asked, fascinated by the idea—I had had my visit with Athena, of course, but I still wasn't sure how that had worked. "Does he do that a lot?"

"Usually every year or two," he shrugged. "As far as gods go, you couldn't ask for a better father. From what I understand, most demigods and goddesses don't ever meet their fathers. I don't know if they even know—or believe—what they are."

"Does he do that for all his children?" I asked.

"You know… I don't know," Laurie mused. "I never really thought about it. I guess he must have other kids out there with other women. I've never asked. Anyway, since this whole thing's been going on, he's come to visit me a few times to tell me about the situation."

"So… what do you know about… Thom?" I asked hesitantly, not sure if I wanted to know.

"Not much, unfortunately," he sighed. "I know he has some connection with whatever… whoever our enemy is."

"We don't even know who we're fighting?" I asked, exhasperated.

"No," Laurie said. "The Fates are… not all that helpful, to be honest. All they know is someone is trying to overthrow the Olympians, and that that someone will succeed without you to stop them. I can only assume that Thom has something to do with that."

"I guess," I said. "That's a pretty vague prophesy."

"Yeah," he said. "Well, maybe he said something to you that gives some indication?"

"Not really," I said, racking my brain for any information Thom might have spilled earlier that night. "He said… He said he didn't want to kill me right away because he was trying to figure out how to steal my powers. He wanted them for himself."

"That's good," Laurie said. "That means he's not as powerful as you. Or… as you could be. Potentially."

"And he said he was going to get rid of you," I said. "After he was done with me."

"Hm," Laurie said, then waved a hand in the area. "I'm not worried. He doesn't know who I am, does he?"

"I don't know," I said. "I don't think so. He saw the writing in the book, but… He said he didn't know who you were. I don't think he made the connection. I didn't."

"Did he tell you anything else?" Laurie said. "Say anything else that might be important?"

"He said that he loved me," I said bitterly, then immediately regretted sharing that.

"He… oh," Laurie seemed unsure of how to respond to that information. "Well. Was that… right before…"

"Yeah," I said quietly.

"And did you… say it back?" he asked, speaking slowly and carefully.

"I don't think that that's any of your business," I snapped harshly, then realized that probably _none _of this was any of his business, and yet I was the one who had brought it up.

"You're right," Laurie surrendered, backing off.

"I didn't," I responded. "I didn't say it. Because I didn't—I wasn't in love with him."

"Oh," Laurie said, a bit awkwardly. "Good."

"Yeah."

He seemed to take this as an invitation to pry a bit further, and I didn't exactly blame him for it.

"It was… your first time, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Um… yeah," I bit my lip.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at me with genuine concern.

"I… I mean, sure?" I stammered, caught off-guard a bit. "I mean, yeah, I just lost my virginity to my boyfriend, thinking he was in love with me, and now it turns out that he was just trying to steal my powers and he was apparently some kind of psychopathic Juilliard graduate, but, you know… I'm good."

"I'm sorry," Laurie said awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "So… what am I going to do? I can't go back, can I?"

"Well, he knows where you live, doesn't he?" Laurie asked, and I nodded. "Then it probably isn't a good idea. You can stay with me if you'd like."

"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice, do I?" I asked.

"I suppose not," Laurie nodded.

"And I won't be able to go to school, either," I said. "He knows my schedule. He knows everything."

Laurie looked solemn, but didn't seem to have any solution to offer. I nodded, shrugged. There was no use wallowing about it. My whole world was turned upside down, but there really was no other option. If I didn't do this, there might not be a world to be turned upside down. Life would go on after I was done, assuming I succeeded. And then I would have my reward and I could do whatever I pleased. It would be okay. Everything would be okay.

"I suppose I can't get my things, either," I said.

"No," Laurie said. "But… I could probably get them for you. Thom hasn't seen me as far as we know, so he doesn't know what to look for. And it's pretty easy for me to get in and out of your room unnoticed."

"Okay," I said. "Could I write a note for you to leave my housemates?"

"What are you going to tell them?" he asked.

"I don't know—I'll come up with something," I said. "Obviously not the truth. But I have to tell them something. Can you do it?"

"Sure," Laurie said.

"One more thing—how did you know?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"You were already outside when I ran out," I said—it had suddenly occurred to me how strange it was. "I ran outside and you were waiting. I would probably be knocked out and back in Thom's apartment now if you hadn't been there. How did you know that was going to happen?"

"I… sort of have premonitions," Laurie said. "They're not very clear… I rarely get the complete story, but I knew something was going to go wrong and you'd need me to be there. It's part of my demigod power."

"Part of?" I asked.

"Yeah," Laurie said. "I have some other minor light-related powers, but nothing compared to what you'll be capable of. I can help you learn to use your powers, if you'd like."

"I would like that," I said, smiling for the first time since Laurie had shown up. "Thank you… for everything."

"Of course," he said, then stood. "Come on, you must be tired."

I was. He brought me into a guest bedroom with a small but comfortable twin sized bed. There was a small bedside table with a reading lamp, a bureau, a closet, and a small window with blinds. I looked uneasily at the window as I sat on the bed. Laurie seemed to read my mind. He went to the window and closed the blinds—it was a small comfort. I knew that there was little chance of Thom or anyone else knowing where I was or finding me, but it still worried me nonetheless. Laurie left and I turned the light off and put my head on the pillow. It took a long time, but eventually sleep finally came to me.

* * *

><p>My eyes blinked open and I found myself squinting. Only thin slivers of lights could find their way through the blinds, but one of those slivers was landing right across my eyes. I sat up, sighing. It occurred to me that there were no clocks in the room. I had no idea how long I'd been asleep—had no idea what time I'd gone to bed, for that matter. I heard some muffled sounds coming from elsewhere in the apartment. I listened intently, unable to make out whatever it was. I pushed the blankets aside and stood as quietly as I could manage, then silently padded over to the door and pressed my ear against it. I was unable to make out the words, but I could definitely hear two voices.<p>

I opened the door slowly, hoping that it wouldn't creak. By some stretch of luck, it didn't. I tip-toed down the hall towards the voices and stopped by the turn into the main room. That had to be where they were—two men. I recognized one of them as Laurie, but I didn't know the other one. I waited around the corner, listening.

"I don't know what to do next," Laurie said. "I don't think she trusts me."

"That's smart of her," the other said.

"How can you say that?" Laurie asked, sounding frustrated—I could hear his footsteps, indicating that he was pacing back and forth. "You _know _I only have her best interests at heart. You know that. I just want to help."

"I say that because she shouldn't trust _anyone_," the other said. "I think she learned her lesson after what happened with this Thom person. She'll be more careful now."

"I just wish there was some way I could gain her trust," Laurie sighed, and I could hear him drop down onto a couch or chair. "Show her how much I… care about her."

"You seem very emotionally invested already," Laurie's guest took a warning tone. "You just met the girl."

"Is it really any surprise?" Laurie said. "I mean, the entire family seems to be based around… love at first sight… complete impulsiveness."

I felt myself inhale sharply in a little gasp, then quickly clapped my hand to my mouth. It was quiet—I was sure they hadn't heard it.

"_Lust_ at first sight," the other corrected. "Love comes later… sometimes. Is it really that serious?"

"I don't know," Laurie sighed. "Maybe."

"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about her trusting you now," the other said, laughing.

"Why?"

"She's standing right around the corner."

My eyes widened. Apparently my gasp hadn't been as quiet as I'd thought. I stood, frozen, unable to move for a moment.

"Sophie?" Laurie shouted—unnecessarily, I might add, as I could hear him quite well.

"Why don't you come join us?" the other said.

Sheepishly, I turned to enter the room.

"I didn't want to interru—" my mouth dropped open when I saw Laurie's guest. "Apollo!"

I hadn't met him yet, of course. The sun god was dressed all in pure white and shimmering gold, and his skin was tanned and had a glow to it which lit up everything around him. His hair was curly and strawberry blonde and he had golden cuffs around his wrists. I noticed a vase on a side table was filled with perfect, fresh sunflowers. I was sure those hadn't been there the night before. Apollo was standing before me in what seemed like the blink of an eye. He took my hand and kissed the back of it.

"Pleased to finally make your acquaintance," he said, and flashed a genuine smile.

"I—likewise," I said, smiling and staring in awe at him.

He didn't let go of my hand, but led me over to sit next to him on the couch. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was unimaginably beautiful, and I understood suddenly why he was so sacred to the ancient Greeks. His face was soft and perfectly handsome—no artist had ever been able to quite capture it. I was afraid if I looked away, I might forget what he looked like.

"How long were you listening?" Laurie asked, tearing me away from Apollo's glow and back to reality.

I shook my head, surprised at myself for becoming so mesmerized by Apollo. I looked at Laurie for a moment, then realized what he meant—he was wondering whether I had heard his confession about his feelings for me. I smirked a little, looking at the floor and shrugging.

"Long enough," I said.

"Don't mind my son," Apollo said, taking both my hands now. "He likes to pretend to have an ego, but he's quite self-conscious. I trust he's been treating you well?"

"Oh… oh, yes," I said, once again hypnotized by Apollo's light.

He smiled at me and I suddenly had this selfish feeling that I never wanted him to look at anyone else ever again. He pushed my hair behind my ear.

"Last night must have been hard for you," he said.

"It's—it's okay," I said—nothing seemed bad now.

"I'm glad to hear that," Apollo said, smiling brilliantly again.

"Excuse me," Laurie said loudly. "This is all quite lovely I'm sure, but don't we have better things to be doing?"

I had been torn away from Apollo once again. It was a strange sensation. Each time I looked away from him, I felt foolish for being so hypnotized by his beauty a moment before. But when I looked back at him, it was as though no one else needed to exist in the world. If this was what meeting Apollo was like, I was concerned about how Aphrodite was going to be, if I ever did meet her.

"Right," Apollo said, and I focused on looking at Laurie, as difficult as that was. "If you're going to be saving the world, there are some things we'll need to discuss."

"If they involve me eventually kicking Thom's ass, then I'm definitely in," I said, feeling renewed after a night's sleep and ready for revenge.

"Oh, they definitely do," Apollo said with a gorgeous, musical laugh.

I sighed, "As lovely as you are, Apollo, if we're going to talk business, I can't sit next to you—it's much too distracting."

Laurie looked pleased that I wouldn't be staring adoringly at his father any longer. He moved over and offered the seat next to him, and I moved over and took it.

"I get that a lot," Apollo said, amusedly.

Sitting at a small distance across from him, and without him touching me, made it a lot easier. He was still astounding and stunning, but I could handle it a lot better when he wasn't so close to me. I could think about other things, anyway.

"Alright," I said, looking between Laurie and Apollo. "What's the plan?"


	8. The Dark

**VIII.** The Dark

* * *

><p>We had hardly begun discussing possible courses of action when there was a strong gust of wind through the room and a man appeared by the doorway. Well, not a man—a god. That much was clear immediately, as it always was. He was tall and lithe. His hair was a dirty blond, and his skin was radiant, though it didn't shine in quite the way that Apollo's did. He had a cap covering most of his curly locks, and from the sides of the cap sprouted a pair of white wings. His sandals were winged as well, and he carried the caduceus, a serpent-entwined staff, in his left arm and a bag over his shoulder.<p>

"Hermes," I murmured.

He smirked, apparently pleased that his reputation had preceded him.

"And you must be the famous Sophie," he replied, crossing his legs to do a little bow which I expected he intended to be somewhat mocking.

"Indeed she is," Apollo replied, seeming somewhat agitated but hardly letting it show. "Do you bring a message, Hermes?"

"From the Underworld," Hermes nodded, reaching into his bag and producing a stack of instant photographs, which he tossed onto Laurie's coffee table in front of me. "Is this your boy?"

"The gods use Polaroid cameras?" I asked incredulously, looking to Hermes with a lifted eyebrow.

"We use whatever resources suit our purposes best," Hermes responded defensively and gestured towards the photographs. "Is he the one or not?"

I picked up a photograph and studied it. There was a figure in a cloak, with the hood pulled over his head and his face turned away from the camera. He appeared to be standing by the bank of a river with dark, turbulent waters. Based on the way the figure gripped the hood, pulling it forward, and the ripples in the cloak tugged by the wind, it looked like a stormy day. I picked up another photo, this one from a different angle. Only a small portion of the figure's face was visible in this one, but it was Thom, alright.

"This is Thom," I said, tossing the photo back onto the coffee table with disgust. "But he's not 'my boy.'"

Hermes nodded, looking somewhat grave. He didn't speak for a moment, and I looked to Apollo. Apollo was looking at Hermes expectedly, seemingly exasperated by Hermes and his dramatic pauses.

"Hades will be needing to speak with you all then," Hermes said finally.

"Why? What are these?" Apollo stood and I was struck by how far above me he seemed to be as he walked to the coffee table and I remained seated. He picked up a couple of the photos and looked them over. "What river is this?"

"It's Phlegethon," Hermes said after a moment's pause, seemingly unsure of whether he was at liberty to divulge this information. "They were taken this morning."

"Phlegethon," Apollo said, and the coarseness in his voice, though subtle, sent a shiver through me. "How did he get there so quickly? He was here in Athens just last night."

Apollo shook his head at the photos.

"Um, perhaps I'm missing a crucial point here," Laurie interrupted. "But how the hell does this guy even know where Phlegethon is? I haven't even been made privy to that information."

I could tell it wounded him a bit—being half-god, but not good enough to be a part of the inner circle. After all, if the gods still lived up to their reputations, there were probably plenty of demigods around. It seemed Laurie probably already knew more than most demigods, but that wasn't enough for him. I looked at him and realized how hard it must be—no matter what he did, he would never be as good as his father. It was such a basic, mortal problem, except in this case it was completely different. It wasn't just something Laurie perceived in his own mind; it was something much more tangible than that. He truly would never be more than half of what his father was. He could never be an Olympian. In a way, I was more a god than he—I had more potential for power, at least at this moment. And I wasn't even of Olympian blood.

I realized I didn't even know what Phlegethon was or why it was important. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but if it was mentioned in the tome Laurie had left me with, I hadn't gotten to that story yet. I must have read about it years ago.

"What is Phlegethon?" I asked, and Apollo shifted his gaze from his son to me, probably glad to have a distraction from his son's grievances.

"One of the rivers of the Underworld," Apollo replied kindly and without condescension. "The river of fire—it leads to Tartarus."

I picked up one of the photos and studied the river. It looked like a river of water, if you asked me. But looks could be deceiving—I had learned that lesson quite well.

"Tartarus," I mumbled, then continued in a clearer voice. "I remember that one—it's beneath the Underworld, isn't it? It's where Zeus banished the Titans after the war. Including his father. Kronos."

I was rewarded with a nod and a small but radiant smile.

"What does that mean?" Laurie asked. "Is Thom trying to get into Tartarus for some reason? Does he have something to do with the Titans?"

"Hades would like to speak with you himself," Hermes said, standing up straight, stiff, with his arms at his sides. "Well—he'd like to speak with Sophie. Apollo may escort her to the Underworld, or I—"

"Hey, what're you trying to—"

"Laurie," Apollo gave him a disapproving stare. "Hermes, you should take this information to Zeus and the others on Olympus, see if Athena has any wisdom to contribute. I will escort Sophie and my _son _to the Underworld. On your way."

Hermes was clearly annoyed that Apollo was giving him orders, but he didn't say anything. He gave me a curt nod and disappeared in a flash and a flurry. I wondered if it was something akin to sibling rivalry—the two being half-brothers, and Apollo the elder. Though both were immortal and thus were graced with eternally youthful faces, it seemed obvious that Apollo was the elder. His face was less boyish and his demeanor held more authority. It was useful to remind myself, however, that both were at least thousands of years older than me. It was humbling, to say the least.

Outside of Laurie's house was an ornate golden chariot big enough to comfortably fit the three of us. At the front of it were four pure white stallions. The horse nearest to me moved restlessly, snorting at the ground and shifting its wings. _Wings_. I realized with a start that all four horses had a pair of feathered wings folded on its back. Pegasi. I looked around. The street wasn't too busy, but there were a few people about. None of them gave the chariot or the horses a second glance. In fact, none of them gave either of them a _first _glance. If nothing else, the striking and conspicuous Apollo—who had just stepped out of his son's house—should surely catch someone's eye.

"They cannot see me," Apollo answered my unspoken question. "Nor can they see the chariot, or my pegasi. Once you step onto the chariot, they won't see you, either. They won't even notice that you were ever there."

Apollo stepped into the chariot and took the reins, and Laurie and I took our places on either side of him. Apollo put a protective arm around me and held me close to his side as we took off into the sky, soaring over Athens. We were flying among the clouds soon, and then speeding through the air so quickly that the ground was a blur. I felt as though I might be sick from looking at it, so I looked up at Apollo instead. I was so intrigued by him, by the very fact that he existed, and I wanted to ask him about so many different things—about his twin sister, Artemis, for one, or about any of his many lovers—Daphne or Hyacinthus. That might be an awkward subject to broach for a number of reasons, though, especially with his son standing by. So I kept my mouth shut.

I became aware, though I did not look directly down towards the earth that the ground speeding by had changed from a coloring of predominantly green and brown to one of white. I realized, too, that we seemed to be slowing down a bit.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"We're flying over Antarctica," Apollo replied. "We're almost to the entrance to the Underworld."

"The entrance to the Underworld… is in Antarctica," I responded, dumbfounded for a moment. "But… it can't be. I'm not even cold."

"That's because I've got you," Apollo said, gripping my shoulder.

"Oh," I said, in a tone that must have made me sound like a dreamy, love-struck teenager as I smiled stupidly at Apollo.

"The area around the entrance is also of a temperate climate, so you will not need to worry about freezing to death," Apollo assured me.

"Temperate climate?" I asked, still retaining some of my sense. "In Antarctica? Isn't that a bit of an anomaly?"

"Of course," Laurie was the one who answered, with a bit of a haughty tone. "That area is protected—only the gods can access it, and anyone whom they allow."

"Then… how did Thom get there?" I asked the obvious question.

"Well, that is the problem, isn't it?" Apollo asked gravely.

Fields of green suddenly appeared from what had only been snow before, and the chariot dipped towards the ground. I could see a complex system of rivers which flowed together and connected in a number of different ways, but I didn't have time to wrap my head around what was what before we were touching down, having flown over the widest of the rivers. We landed just beyond the banks of that river, where a ferryman—Charon—was about to push off for the other side. I looked at him with interest, and Apollo had to touch my shoulder gingerly to draw my attention back to the task at hand.

Before us stood a dark cave that would, I supposed, lead us down into the Underworld. I suddenly felt a wave of apprehension. I couldn't remember the rules of how this worked. I remembered bits and pieces of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and of Persephone cutting a deal that allowed her to come up to the surface. I didn't have the goddess of the harvest as my mother, so if I made any mistakes, I was pretty much on my own, I thought.

"I'm not going to get stuck down there, am I?" I asked, trying to control my panic.

"Do you think any of us would allow that?" Apollo asked, putting a warm, comforting hand on my arm. "You know that Hades rules the Underworld, and his cause is our cause. You're still alive, and you are serving the gods, so there is no reason why Hades would not let you come and go as you please. I suppose to be safe—just don't eat anything."

"Okay," I said nervously, and took a step forwards toward the dark entryway.

There was a loud growling noise from within, but it didn't frighten me. It was one thing that I was expecting. Everyone who had ever learned basic mythology in school remembered the guard of the gates to the Underworld: the three-headed dog, Cerberus. Normally, he allowed only the spirits of the dead to enter, but I assumed, as a god, Apollo had some kind of authority over him. We walked through complete darkness for a couple of minutes, the growling growing louder. I had my arm wrapped tightly around Apollo's as he led the way. I was aware that we were on a severely downward slope, but I could not see anything of what we were headed towards. I wondered if Apollo's eyes could see something that mine couldn't.

Finally, I saw a glowing ahead, and as we came closer I saw that it was the tall, majestic gates of the Underworld, carved with images of heroic deaths, and glowing faintly gold with flecks of red. Before these gates stood the massive guard dog. As we approached, however, he stopped growling and lay down before Apollo. Apollo put a hand on the middle head of Cerberus and rubbed it between the ears. I raised my eyebrows.

"To us, Cerberus is harmless," Apollo said, gesturing towards the head that was nearest to me. "Go ahead."

"I'd rather not," I said sheepishly—the head was nearly as tall as I was, and I thought if the dog snorted I might tumble backwards.

"Very well," Apollo said, and led the way to the gates, which opened before him.

Before us lay the Fields of Asphodel. This first region of the Underworld comprised an enormous meadow of white flowers that swayed back and forth. I saw gray figures meandering through the fields carelessly.

"Ordinary souls," Apollo filled in, his voice bored. "Not particularly bad, but not great either. A land of remarkable mediocrity."

But I was not bored. This was incredible. I looked to Laurie and saw that the look of awe on his face matched my own. After all, this was the _afterlife_—not long ago, I was quite sure there was no such thing. I had been a firm believer in science, and all that. Laurie, on the other hand, had probably known that this place existed his whole life, but I doubt he ever thought he would see it before he had died. I certainly never would have guessed it.

Looking up, I could see that there was some kind of a roof to this place. It was too far off to see clearly, and it was rather dark up there. It seemed to me that we were in some kind of massive cave. Looking across the fields again, I could see something just beyond them—a large structure. A palace.

After standing at the gates for a minute, we began to make our way across the fields toward the palace. It was massive, naturally, and fronted by Doric columns, but rather than the typical marble, the palace was crafted from some kind of beautiful black stone, and was, of course, decorated with gold accents. It looked large from a distance, but I had no real concept of its actual size until we stood directly before it. So this was how the gods lived.

Laurie and I followed Apollo up the steps to the entrance. We made our way into the grand entry hall, and immediately I saw two figures hurrying down the hall to greet us. As they came closer, I recognized one as Hades, with his pale skin, dark robes, and flashing jewels. Matching his stride and staying right by his side was a girl—I use the term "girl" specifically because that was how she appeared to me. She looked to be about sixteen, and she was small of stature but had an arresting presence. She had long strawberry blonde hair that fell in waves down her back and she wore a light pink, flowing dress that contrasted severely with her surroundings. Her skin was fair, though not as light as the king of the Underworld's, and as she came closer I saw that her eyes were a pale blue that matched the sky of the world above.

Hades looked me over with his cool stare, assessing me as he did before. He smirked.

"I hear you've been busy," he said, meaningfully, the edges of his lips curling into a smile. The girl at his side scoffed—I didn't look at her.

"Hades," Apollo said, his tone warning.

Hades turned his gaze to Apollo and gave him a patronizing stare. He didn't have to say anything, the look said it all. _Don't forget your place, Apollo. Remember who the elder here is._

"Sophie, this is my wife, Persephone," Hades said, gesturing to the girl—well, I suppose she was more a woman than I was, in reality—at his side. "Persephone, this is the girl who's supposed to save us all."

"Fine," Persephone said, tossing her hair and crossing her arms, not offering a hand for me to shake—she seemed unconcerned with this business. "I have some business to attend to, if you don't mind."

"On your way, darling," Hades said, giving his wife a kiss before she walked past us and out into the Underworld. He spoke again once she was gone. "She's upset because you're as lovely as I've been telling her."

I swallowed. Hades's compliments were unsettling, but at the same time they sent a kind of thrill through me. I guess there's some part of human nature that is drawn to danger, as I felt now. It was natural, probably. I was glad that Laurie and Apollo were there, though. I had a safety net. At Hades's words, I felt Apollo's hand grip my shoulder protectively. I had a feeling if protection were _really _necessary, Apollo wouldn't be able to provide it from his uncle. But it was reassuring nonetheless. I glanced over at my companions and saw that Laurie looked somewhat upset—his face was set in a frown. He was probably much more upset by the comments than I was. I almost laughed.

"Hades, this is my son, Laurie," Apollo said.

Hades cast Laurie a disinterested glance, "What makes this one so special?"

"I'm… helping out," Laurie said, trying to defend himself but only making himself look foolish.

"Oh?" Hades focused on Laurie, amused, smirking and raising his eyebrows—that was a mistake, I was sure. "And why were _you _chosen? Of all the demigods running around on earth—all the sons and daughters of Apollo, even—why you? Is it because of your passion for the subject? Because of your destined… infatuation with the savior?"

Laurie looked quickly at me, then back at Hades, his face burning red.

"I'm not—that's not—"

"Flustered, are we?" Hades smirked. "Well, if that's all it takes to rattle you, you're in for—"

"Hey, lay off," I said, stepping forward and getting right into Hades's face. I felt bold. I knew he could hurt me. But I also knew that he wouldn't. "I'm completely mortal and I'm supposedly important."

He was amused, pleased, maybe even giddy about my insubordination. I could see his eyes light up with delight. He curled his fingers tightly over both my shoulders and spoke directly to me, looking me directly in the eye.

"You, darling, are important because the Fates have decreed it so," Hades said, then pulled me close to him, my face inches from his chest so I could smell his pleasant musky aroma, and spoke into my ear so only I could hear. "Don't worry about the boy—he'll love you whether you return his affection or not. I can give you so much more than him."

"You've already promised me unlimited fortune," I replied in a low voice, looking over Hades's shoulder, as his lips were still lowered to my ear. "What more could a girl need?"

"There's more to life than gold, love," Hades said, then planted a kiss next to my ear before straightening himself back up and loosening his grip on my shoulders, which ached now.

"Pot calling the kettle black?" I said, gesturing to our ornate surroundings, particularly the gilded walls, columns, and miscellaneous other décor.

"Consider my offer," Hades said.

"I will," I said, and stepped backwards, finding myself between Laurie and Apollo now.

"What was the offer?" Laurie whispered, his voice somewhat desperate for the information.

"Nothing," I said, waving it off dismissively—I was sure he could discern the nature of the offer himself anyway. "Don't worry about it."

"So, I presume you are here because the fellow spotted by Phlegethon was this 'Thom' character that you fucked," Hades said.

I flinched at the use of the expletive to describe my situation. I was used to the gods' somewhat professional manner of speaking, so it was strange to hear a term so seemingly colloquial and vulgar. Maybe it was also still somewhat of a sore subject and I expected it to be broached delicately by everyone the same way as it was by Apollo and Laurie. But I had to toughen up. Hades was being abrupt because the circumstances required it. I knew that. I even appreciated it in a way.

"Yes," I responded, my voice unwavering.

Hades clucked his tongue. I could tell he wanted to say something. Probably something prying or coarse or lewd. He wisely kept whatever comment or question he had in mind to himself and asked something more appropriate to the situation.

"Do you know what he wants with Tartarus?"

"No."

"I think we can assume that—" Apollo began.

"Yes, nephew, I don't need you telling me what I can assume," Hades said sharply. "So this Thom is in league somehow with the Titans. _What _is he, though? Is he an immortal—or a demigod—something else? Where do his alliances lie? These are the important questions, the ones which actually _merit _discussion. Any ideas on those, Apollo?"

"No, sir," Apollo said.

It was interesting to watch Hades exert his power over Apollo the same way Apollo had done to Hermes. I wondered if this was a symptom of the current situation—the need for the gods to work together and get along—or if this was how things always were. I assumed it was the former, and I supposed it was preferable to the other option, which would be the gods warring among themselves.

"No. Exactly," Hades said condescendingly. "Now, let me show Sophie to her room. You two go back to Olympus and tell the others to meet here. Athena especially—her insight into all this will be much appreciated."

Apollo didn't move.

"Ought we not to meet at Olympus… sir?" Apollo said stiffly.

"No, we ought not," Hades said mockingly, his voice getting louder. "The issue is here—the issue is Tartarus. That is clear now, and if we are going to discuss the issue, we should be as close to it as possible. This is a direct threat to me, and we will be discussing it in my domain, not by brother's. _Go_."

"Laurie will stay here with Sophie," Apollo said, not asking.

"I'm not your babysitter," Hades growled.

"He'll only slow me down going to Olympus," Apollo said coolly. "And I don't feel _comfortable _leaving you alone with Sophie."

"I don't need a chaperone," I said.

I didn't care either way if Laurie stayed, but I was offended by the affront to my independence. Hades looked at me approvingly.

"Yes, she's perfectly safe with me, and you know it," Hades said. "No need to put on your showy protests. The _boy _can stay, as long as he doesn't get in my way—that other boy of yours did plenty of that, but I can see this one is harmless. I've plenty of room for housing pests. This _is_ the Underworld, after all."

He waved over a woman with gray skin, hair and robes who had been standing over by the entrance—I hadn't even noticed her.

"Show this boy to one of the small guest rooms," Hades said, putting a hand on Laurie's back and compelling him to follow the servant. "And see to it that he is made moderately comfortable. Happy, Apollo?"

Apollo didn't look very happy, but he wasn't quite in a position to protest.

"Fine," he said curtly, then turned to me. "Be careful down here. Remember what I told you. I'll be back before you know it."

He put a warm hand affectionately to the side of my head and kissed my cheek before disappearing in a streak of light. I touched the curiously lingering warmth of the spot where his lips touched my skin. The room felt colder without him there.

I turned back to Hades. I was drawn to him, as I was to Apollo, but in a completely different way. I knew Hades wasn't a direct threat to me, but his magnetism felt like a threat. I knew part of why I was drawn to him was the rejection I was still feeling from Thom—knowing that Thom was not really attracted to me, he was only attracted to my power and the potential to make it his own. Laurie's apparent attraction to me felt no better. He hardly knew me. I didn't know why he was attracted to me, but maybe he, too, was fascinated by my power in some way. Even with the variety of my powers, they were no match for the wealth of Hades's powers. He had considerably greater power than me, and yet he was still somehow drawn to me, it seemed. And I had never denied in my mind that there was appeal about him. Now, however, in the wake of all that had happened, the feeling was much stronger.

Hades offered me his arm and I took it, linking mine with his. I allowed him to lead me deeper into the palace in order to show me the quarters he would assign to me.

"I can feel your desire, Sophie," Hades said, looking down at me. "You're tempted by me. You don't have to say anything—you know I'll know if you lie, anyway."

I hoped my blush wasn't too obvious. The lighting was somewhat dim, but I had a feeling his sight was keener than mine, and far more used to the dark, as well. He led me to a large bedroom that he said would be mine whenever I wanted to visit. The bed was the largest I had ever seen, with a red canopy and a red comforter woven with gold threads. There was a large bow window with a cushioned seat, and tall shelves on either side of it, completely filled with books. There was a vanity with a tall mirror and a fireplace, complete with two tall sitting chairs. Hades also indicated a bell by the door which could be used to call a serving shade should I need anything.

"This… this is all too much," I said—I had never had so much space to myself before and wouldn't know what to do with it.

"Nonsense, you are my most honored guest. What was it that Apollo warned you about?" Hades chuckled. "'Don't eat any pomegranates he offers you?'"

"Something like that," I smiled.

Hades closed the door and strode over to the fireplace, lighting it with the wave of a hand.

"I know I make you feel cold," he said, as if that was an explanation, and sat down in one of the two seats, gesturing me to have a seat in the other.

"Thank you," I said, referring to the fire, taking my seat somewhat nervously.

"So, how are you, Sophie?" Hades asked, his tone more caring than I would have expected. "A lot has changed since we last met."

"Well, you seem to know a lot about that already," I said.

"Yes," Hades said. "I want to know how you're feeling though—you know, I'm not quite this monster your culture makes me out to be. I'm not like your 'Satan'—ridiculous concept. I like to have my fun, but I'm not the devil. I am neutral, if not good. I side with my brothers, anyway, even though we don't always agree. Whether they're good or not is a matter of opinion. The dead is simply the domain I was given. Not just the evil dead, as in those modern 'religions'—_all _the dead. Their judgment is my purview, for better or for worse."

"I know," I said, swallowing.

"Then why are you trembling?"

It was true that I was shaking. I was afraid I would say or do the wrong thing. Not that he would harm me. I was more afraid that I would harm myself.

"I don't know," I said quietly.

"I don't think that's quite true—I think I know the answer," he said. "It's because you're attracted to me, isn't it? You're afraid you'll let yourself do something you'll regret?"

"Maybe," I said—I _was _in a vulnerable place right now.

"I won't let you do anything you'd regret," Hades said, and his words were somewhat comforting. "Let's talk about Thom."

"I don't know—"

"I know, I know," Hades said, and his dark eyes shone. "That's not what I want to talk about."

"Oh," I said, swallowing.

"It was your first time," Hades said, touching a finger to his lips with interest. "Your human concept of virginity is ridiculous. Your value remains the same—you are the same person, just with a new experience. But I'm curious about it—and you need to talk about it to someone at some point, whether you want to or not. Was it good?"

"No," I said. "Not really. Though I don't have anything to compare it to."

"Pity," Hades frowned. "Though I suppose that's not surprising given what we now know about him. Well, perhaps one day you'll let me show you how it ought to be done. But now is not the time for that."

He stood and looked down at me. I stood and walked with him to the door.

"Thank you," I said, glad that he wasn't going to press any further on that matter tonight.

"Sweet dreams," he said, left a cold kiss on my forehead, and disappeared out the door.


	9. The Words

**IX.** The Words

There were no clocks as far as I had seen in the palace of the King of the Underworld. I was tiring of waking up in rooms with no clocks, and this was made worse by the lack of sky in the Underworld. Even the large bow window of my room was no help, as the view from it remained steadfastly unchanging throughout the hours. I cursed myself for not wearing a watch. I supposed it didn't matter, since I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep anyway. And what did time mean in a place like this? Was there a designated time zone for the Underworld? Did the dead care how much time had passed? I supposed they probably didn't. But I did. How many hours had passed since Hades had left me here? Ten? Twenty? I had no idea how long I had been asleep for or even how long I had been awake, pacing the room or staring at the ceiling, as I was now.

I sat up in the four poster canopy bed and took in my surroundings once more. Against the wall was a large, dark wooded vanity. I walked to it and studied the ornate carvings laid into the frame of the mirror and the faces of the drawers. I traced them with my fingers, imagined how much they would be worth in the world of the living. I looked at myself in the mirror and I found the person staring back at me to be almost unrecognizable. My hair, which usually I kept tame, either straightening it or arranging it into neat curls, had been left to its own devices, essentially. It was curly, naturally, but not the pretty ringlets that I liked to create for special occasions. The curls that took over my hair now were wild and voluminous, creating something akin to a lion's mane around my head. But it didn't look bad, necessarily, just… wild. Although it had always been tinged with a slight red quality, that tone seemed more prominent now than ever, but I considered that may just have been the lighting in the particular room.

I wasn't sure if I had permission to wander away from my designated room, but I cared little. I was confident, somehow, that Hades wouldn't say no to me. I meandered through the complicated maze of hallways, admiring the architecture and the various artworks of different styles that adorned the walls. I was sure I recognized some famous painters among them, but the works themselves were unfamiliar to me. I stopped to look at one painting of the Asphodel Meadows that I could have sworn was painted by Vincent Van Gogh. I leaned closely and studied the swirling brush strokes, the colors that were so much brighter than reality. I was no art history buff, but I would've sworn Van Gogh had painted this.

Eventually I found myself in a room with a long dining table, surrounded by beautifully carved wooden chairs and nothing else. At one end of the table was a painting of Hades, sitting upon a throne with a severely scaled-down Cerberus at his feet. Or perhaps Cerberus wasn't scaled down—perhaps that was Hades's true size, a frightening thought. I turned and found, at the other head of the table, a painting of his queen, Persephone. Flowers were woven into her hair and she held a pomegranate close to her lips. She looked just as she had yesterday, except that her skin was of a darker shade.

"Lovely, isn't she?" Hades put his hands lightly on my shoulders from behind. I hadn't heard him come in, but I wasn't alarmed.

"Yes," I agreed. "She's not as tan as that, though."

"Sometimes she is," Hades said. "This was painted at the beginning of fall one year—now it's December. After some time in the Underworld, her skin becomes pale like mine."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Time for breakfast," Hades said, turning me gently by the shoulder.

The table, previously empty, was now completely covered by a decadent feast, baskets heaped with bread and fruit as well as bowls and plates with a variety of dishes. I didn't even raise an eyebrow. I had come to expect the impossible here. Hades bent this world effortlessly to his will. This was all for show—he had to know I wasn't going to eat any of it. He sat at the head of the table under his portrait and gestured for me to take the seat adjacent to it. A shade appeared from thin air and pulled the chair away from the table for me.

"Will Persephone be joining us?" I asked, sitting.

"Eventually, I'm sure," Hades said, but I wasn't convinced that he actually _was_ sure. Something troubled him—I saw it just for a flash in his eyes, and then it was gone. It was strange to think that the gods had troubles, but I suppose that had always been an element of their stories.

"Did I see a Van Gogh in one of the halls?" I asked.

"Which one?" Hades asked, picking food from the table to put on his plate while a shade filled his glass with a golden liquid.

"There's more than one?" I asked, eyebrows raised now.

"Sure," Hades said, taking a bite, swallowing. "I have several. He's been dead for over a century, he's had time. I'm somewhat of a patron of the arts. I provide these dead painters with the resources they need and then I hang the best things they create on my walls. How else should the King of the Dead decorate his palace?"

I looked at him in silent awe.

"You're fond of Van Gogh?" Hades asked, and I nodded. "I'll show you the others another time."

We sat a few minutes in silence as I watched Hades eat.

"Did you sleep well?" Hades asked finally.

"Not really," I said—I had gotten up a few times and gone to sit at the window and browse the library of books provided to me.

"Were your accommodations not satisfactory?"

Stabbed a piece of meat with his fork. Chewed. Swallowed. I wondered what kind of meat it was.

"No, no, they were wonderful," I said. "The bed was the… most comfortable I've ever slept in. I'm just restless. I have a lot on my mind."

"Understandable," Hades said, contented.

I wondered how the fruits and vegetables tasted. They all looked amazing—perfectly ripe and brightly colored, with unblemished skin. The smell was practically intoxicating.

"Are the others coming?" I asked. "The Olympians?"

His eye twitched slightly at the word. I wonder if the fact that he was not technically considered one of the "Olympians" was a slight to him. He hardly showed it, if so. Hardly.

"They are," Hades said. "I imagine they will be arriving periodically over the next couple of hours. They seem to be taking their time for something that's supposedly so important—they're reluctant to visit me here, even under these circumstances."

"You don't get along with them," I observed, wondering if he would think I was overstepping my bounds. I couldn't bring myself to care.

He put his fork down and looked directly at me, his expression unchanging. I was wondering if he would scold me.

"Some of them," he said.

"Apollo, for one," I responded.

"We have our differences," he looked back down at his plate to stab another piece of food.

"Why do you act so… aloof towards me when others are around?" I asked. "You're actually rather kind when it's just us. Most of the time."

He looked at me. Smiled wryly. Said nothing.

"Okay, you don't like that question," I threw my hands up in a small gesture. "Then back to Apollo—what's the deal with you two?"

"There are a lot of reasons why Apollo and I do not _get along_," Hades said through gritted teeth.

"Name one," I said, not about to give up that easily. There was a pause while Hades chewed his food deliberately slow.

"He courted Persephone," he said, but I could see that was only a minor, outlying problem.

"So? He didn't succeed," I said. "And then you stole her."

"I was in love with her," he said defensively, looking angry at the accusation.

"You kidnapped her, Hades," I said, though my tone was as gentle as I could manage. "There are better ways to get a girl's attention."

"Not when her mother is Demeter," Hades grumbled. "But that was thousands of years ago."

"Right," I said. "And yet you _still _are holding a grudge against Apollo for courting her? I don't think so. Give me another reason."

"His son," Hades said, his voice low.

"Laurie?" I asked, frowning—that didn't make sense.

"Asclepius."

"I don't know him," I said, shaking my head.

"Son of Apollo by Coronis—that's a story you should ask Apollo about sometime," Hades said. "Especially if you think I'm cruel. But that's not my concern. Asclepius—a healing god—let's just say he got in the way of _my _job."

"Ah," I nodded—that made a bit more sense.

There was a sound coming from the hallway opposite from the one I had entered through. Laurie appeared in the doorway, guided by a shade who shuffled away silently. Laurie raised an eyebrow when he saw Hades and me sitting at the table together.

"Sophie?" he said.

"That's me," I said, somewhat mockingly—I wondered if Hades's sometimes sour attitude and dismissive demeanor were rubbing off on me. On second thought, I think the attitude came about naturally, I was simply less likely to try to suppress it here.

"Are you—are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_, Laurie, I can take care of myself," I said, looking down at the clean, empty plate in front of me on the table to avoid looking at him.

I felt a _little_ bad after the words came out. After all, Laurie had done some kind things for me, and I shouldn't be so rude about his concern. But I wanted to be independent, and I didn't want to be treated like some fragile, breakable thing. I was the one with the power—I certainly didn't need a babysitter. At least Hades seemed to recognize that I was strong and didn't need to be treated so gingerly. I was frustrated that Laurie was ending my one-on-one time with Hades. I considered apologizing anyway, but kept my mouth shut.

"Take a seat, boy," Hades said, and Laurie sat down across from me.

I knew he was staring at me but I didn't want to meet his gaze. His attention made me uncomfortable for some reason. He wasn't aggressive about his affections towards me, but I could see them plainly in his eyes and it was impossible to ignore. That was the last thing I wanted to think about right now. I stared at the table for a few moments, and when I looked up, Hades was no longer seated at his place at the table. I felt the lightest of tugs at a few strands of my hair and looked up over my shoulder to find Hades running a strand of my hair between his fingers.

"What do you think, Laurie?" Hades asked, and I cringed.

"Ex-excuse me?" Laurie stammered, fiddling awkwardly with a fork from the table.

"Doesn't Sophie look lovely today?" Hades asked, voice husky, leaning over my shoulder and shooting me a knowing sideways smirk. I wanted to snarl at him in response, but I kept my face as neutral as possible. He knew Laurie's feelings were an uncomfortable subject for me. He was doing this on purpose. Bastard. "Doesn't she look just… ravishing?"

At this, he put his face right against my hair and inhaled. I had to look at Laurie. To look away would have been even more uncomfortable. He didn't say anything, but his lips were pulled together in a tight line. One hand was under the table, and the other was wrapped tightly around the handle of a fork, and it was shaking uncontrollably.

"Well, boy? What do you say?"

In an instant, Hades had gone from being right there with his head right against mine, to being immediately next to Laurie, slamming his shaking hand down on the table and prying the fork out of it to set it back down on the table.

"What's wrong with you? Can't you speak?" Hades chided. "Don't be rude! Tell the girl what you're thinking!"

"You look very lovely today, Sophie," Laurie said very quietly, looking down at his empty hand on the table. "As always."

I knew my face was probably reddened from secondhand embarrassment. Hades clapped his hands together. I looked up at him. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. I didn't like the look of that.

"Well then!" Hades said mockingly. "How lovely. I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone, then."

As he was exiting, he walked by me and gave my shoulder a pointed squeeze. I quickly reached up and clasped my own hand over his. He took my hand in his and turned me to him, smirking and quirking an eyebrow. I widened my eyes, trying to convey that I didn't want him to leave—but surely he already knew that. I was begging, _pleading _with my eyes. But this was part of his game. I would rather have him around making embarrassing comments than be left alone with Laurie. I couldn't even bare to think of the extended awkward silences that were surely to come once he disappeared.

"Don't worry, my dear, I'll be back soon," Hades said, squeezing my hand and actually sounding a bit sincere.

He pulled my hand up to his lips and left a cold kiss on the back of it. Then he used the hand to pull me in even closer towards him and planted a lingering kiss on my cheek, pressing his hand against the opposite side of my head to hold my skin against his lips for a few seconds. I swear I could feel Laurie bristling with discomfort from all the way across the table. And then, in what seemed to be just a flurry of fabric, Hades had suddenly and dramatically made his exit. I stumbled a bit in to the empty space where Hades had been an instant before. I quickly regained my footing and pressed my palms against the edge of the table, stabilizing myself. I stared at the empty plate on the table. I felt dizzy. Laurie stood, and I could sense that he was about to say something.

"So, um, there are some Van Gogh paintings down this hall," I said quickly, trying to defend against any awkward conversations Laurie might attempt to initiate. "And I swear I saw some that looked like they might be Monet—we should go look at those. Hades told me all about them, they're really from those artists, but they're originals, not like anything you'll ever see on Earth. They're really amazing, you have to see them. I mean. If you're into that sort of thing. Art. Are you?"

I gave him a beat to respond, and then tilted my head up look at him. He was frowning, studying me with his usual uncomfortable level of intensity. I was about to say something else, when finally he responded

"Sure, let's go look," Laurie said.

I led him to the Van Gogh I had seen before and we looked at some of the other artwork in the halls along the way. Laurie seemed interested, but distracted. I told him what I knew about the paintings from what Hades had told me.

"When did Hades tell you all this?" Laurie asked.

"This morning," I said. "Or… I don't know what time it is. Before we went to, uhh… Well, after I woke up."

"And he was there when you woke up?" Laurie asked.

Oops. Walked right into that one.

"No," I said, then decided to just play dumb. "Why would he be there?"

"Didn't you…?"

I crossed my arms, frowned, and cocked my head to the side.

"Didn't I what?"

"You and Hades… you had sex, didn't you?" he asked, finally being straightforward about his envious curiosity.

"What would it be to you if we did?" I asked, stepping towards Laurie and getting into his personal space. I felt bold. Confrontational. "I'm an adult. You know that, right? I can make my own decisions."

"He's a god," Laurie whispered, his expression condescending as he squinted down at me. "It's hard for consent to be a factor."

"I'm in control here," I said. "I only do what I want to do. I have power too, you know. And what about you? You're half a god. So that means being with you would be dangerous too, huh?"

"I didn't—" Laurie furrowed his brow. "That's not what I was saying. I only have your best interests in mind."

"You don't even know me," I said, leaning in and whispering in his ear. "What do you know about my best interests?"

Laurie backed away, eyes wide. I could see his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallowed. He turned his back to me and I heard him inhale sharply.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked. "Why are you acting like this?"

"You say that like you know how I normally act," I said.

"More than you'd think," he responded.

"Because that's not fucking creepy," I responded, throwing my hands in the air.

"I can't help it, okay?" Laurie said, turning back towards me. "I didn't choose to get involved with this whole thing. I didn't _choose _you for this, and I obviously didn't intend to… feel the way that I do. Knowing you and having you not know me and feeling the way that I did—do—was one of the absolute strangest things I have yet experienced, and you can't even imagine all the strange things I have experienced in my life. And having you know about how I feel isn't making it any easier, especially when you do things like… whatever _that _was. I would never have told you because having you know just makes things awkward for both of us. It makes it extremely difficult to work with you when you can't even take me seriously."

"Maybe I could take you seriously if you could look at me with respect instead of lust," I said, scoffing. He was not going to turn this on me. This was not my fault.

"It is _not _lust," Laurie insisted.

"What then?" I snapped, then immediately regretted it—I wasn't sure I wanted to hear his answer to that question.

"I—I mean—" Laurie's eyes widened as he fumbled, and then he closed his eyes, shaking his head. "No. I just… I _do _respect you, Sophie. I have so _much _respect for you. You're intelligent and driven and… so passionate about learning and exploring new things. You're… ambitious and loyal and determined. You think you're awkward so sometimes you don't say much, and you think no one really cares what you have to say, but you're actually secretly kind of brilliant, really, even though you might not believe that. You shouldn't be so self-conscious. You're amazing. I have _nothing_ if not respect for you. Even now. And I don't expect anything in return."

I was completely taken aback by Laurie's speech. My eyes widened, and my mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. I blinked, wishing I could go back and _not _push him to the point of saying all those things. He hadn't actually answered my question, but this was somehow much worse. I had never felt so guilty.

"Shit," Laurie said, shaking his head at himself and rubbing his forehead as he looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. You don't need to respond to any of that. I just want to be able to cooperate on this thing. Once this is all over you won't have to put up with me anymore."

"It's not that I don't like you, Laurie," I said, finally. "It's just… I don't know you _at all_. I know next to nothing about you, have barely even spoken to you, and yet you know so much about me that you have these intense feelings. Can you imagine how terrifying that is for me? To have someone I've just met looking at me like… well, you know how you feel. Just think of how that would be."

"I get it," Laurie said, nodding. "And like I said, I wish you hadn't found out because it doesn't help things. And I am sorry. I wish I could just… turn it off."

"The whole jealousy thing… it's not becoming—"

"I know, I know it's not my place to be—"

"—but nothing actually happened between me and Hades," I finished my sentence as though I hadn't been interrupted.

"Oh?" Laurie looked up hopefully.

"Laurie," I said sternly.

"Sorry."

"That doesn't mean I'm not attracted to Hades, or I didn't want to," I said. "But like I've said, I can take care of myself and I know that's not what I need."

"Right," Laurie said. "I feel like it's my responsibility to protect you, but… You're actually a lot more powerful than I am, so it is a bit ridiculous. And if Hades wanted to harm you, there's nothing either of us would be able to do about it anyway, even together."

"He wouldn't, though," I said. "He's been a gentleman to me."

Laurie looked skeptical, but kept his mouth shut this time. He was learning. I thought I might be able to tolerate him now. Maybe I could even get to know him. Perhaps we'd even be able to be friends through this. Once we were out of the Underworld, I thought, we'd probably get along at least a bit better.

"So…" I said, and began to walk further down the hallway. Laurie stepped along to walk beside me. "Like I said, I really don't know anything about you. Maybe you can tell me a little."

"What else do you want to know?" Laurie asked, seeming uncomfortable about having the spotlight directed on him, but reasonably willing to answer my questions.

"Details," I said. "Any details. I know some basics, but I don't know anything about who you are. It's the little things that make the difference. So you were going to grad school at UCL… Did you go there right after you got your first degree?"

"No," Laurie said. "I took a little time off to do some field work."

"Where did you do your field work?" I asked. We were walking slowly, not even looking at the art now, only at each other and sometimes at the ground.

"Greece, mostly," Laurie said, then smiled. "_Something_ drew me there."

"Did you always know?" I asked. "About… your dad?"

"Yeah, as long as I can remember," Laurie said. "I didn't realize until it was time for me to start going to school that there was anything weird about it. My mom told me I couldn't tell people about my dad. She said they wouldn't believe me. She explained everything about modern religion to me, and what most people believed as opposed to what was really true. It was a lot for a little kid. I was confused, but I kept my mouth shut. When I got a little older and I really understood… maybe I had a bit of a superiority complex."

"You seemed pretty cocky the first time I met you," I said.

"Sorry," he looked sheepish.

"No, it's… fine," I said. "You don't have to apologize for that. How long have you lived in London for?"

"My whole life," Laurie said.

"Do you have a place there still?" I asked.

"Yeah, the apartment I grew up in," he said. "It's the only place I've ever lived."

"Any family?"

"No."

"None at all?"

"I don't think my mom's family was too interested in her after she had a child out of wedlock," he said, shrugging. "It's not like they would've believed the story, so I don't think she ever tried to tell them. She never talked much about them. I've never had any desire to know them."

I wanted to ask about his mother, but I knew I shouldn't. That was a conversation for close friends, and we were not.

"Any… pets?" I asked.

"A cat."

"Name?"

"Whiskers."

"And where is Whiskers now?" I asked.

"A friend from school's taking care of him," Laurie said. "He knows I'm in Greece, but he thinks it's for field work."

"You have friends?"

Laurie looked up, eyes wide, then he must have seen the smirk on my face.

"Stop," he said, laughing a little.

"What kind of music do you like?"

As if on cue, the beautiful music of a lyre suddenly filled the hallway and from the end, I could see a light shining around a corner. Laurie groaned and shook his head, but he was still smiling. Suddenly there was a cold gust of air from behind us and Hades between us, his arms around our shoulders. I could see Laurie bristle under the touch.

"Looks like playtime is over," he said. "Company is arriving."


End file.
